


Where It All Began

by Strato_Fall007



Series: My Showdown Bandit Ocs [2]
Category: Showdown Bandit (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arguing, Awkward Crush, Backstory, Bad Puns, Ballroom Dancing, Bank Robbery, Blindness, Breakfast, Brutal Murder, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Crushes, Dancing, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Dreams and Nightmares, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Extortion, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Guitars, Harassment, Headcanon, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Injury, Injury Recovery, Jealousy, Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Murder, Nightmares, Panic Attack, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Past Sexual Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romantic Fluff, Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Sexual Harassment, Singing, Sleep, Sleeping Together, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, Strangers to Lovers, a lot of headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 41,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22090420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strato_Fall007/pseuds/Strato_Fall007
Summary: This is the story about how Faceless and Selma (one of my ocs) met, if you would like to know more about my oc then check out my Tumblr, my url is strato-fall06, by the way a bit of extra detail, this story is set to when Faceless had recently lost his face so he's still adjusting to his loss of sight
Relationships: Penny Hemsworth/Lorelei Undertaker, faceless bandit/original character
Series: My Showdown Bandit Ocs [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1585273
Kudos: 14





	1. How They Met

The Faceless Bandit growled in frustration, another episode, another failure. That darn Showdown Bandit always got away in time or managed to beat him, it didn’t help that Faceless couldn’t see and had trouble figuring out where anything was. He stumbled to his feet; it was more difficult to get up this time since Showdown managed to shoot his knee. Faceless walked through town and everyone glared at him and whispered insults but made sure to avoid his path.

“Hey Faceless!” A familiar voice called out.

Faceless groaned in annoyance when he heard the voice, he recognized it as the sheriff, he didn’t bother to look at the sheriff, not that he could anyway.

“What do you want?” Faceless hissed.

“Where are you going?” The sheriff questioned.

“I’m leaving the town idiot, you don’t need to worry about me committing another crime, I’m leaving.” Faceless replied, continuing to walk.

The sheriff grabbed Faceless’s shoulder and yanked him back, at that moment Faceless’s knee decided to give out and he collapsed to the ground and groaned in pain, he struggled to get up since his injured leg was refusing to move. He felt humiliated at that moment and it didn’t help when the sheriff chuckled at his situation.

“You know, for a villain, you’re pretty pathetic,” The sheriff mocked, “There’s no point in keeping you around, you’re broken.” The sheriff hissed, pulling out his gun.

Faceless panicked when he heard the spur of a gun chamber, he tried to get up but his injured leg felt jammed and it hurt whenever he tried to move it, he didn’t want to accept death but he felt hopeless.

“Stop!” A female voice called out.

Faceless lifted his head and tried to locate the sound, he heard someone approach and he felt a presence was close to him, he leaned back a bit to make more space.

“Selma, what are you doing?” The sheriff barked.

“He’s injured! And besides, what are you doing?” Selma questioned.

“My job! He’s an outlaw, and he’s broken! We don’t need him!” The sheriff explained, angry at being questioned.

“No, you’re only supposed to do that during the show! The episode ended, and besides, if he’s broken then let me fix him, it’s my job!” Selma replied.

The sheriff scoffed at her reply, “Fine, but just this once!” The sheriff replied, storming off.

The woman known as Selma lifted Faceless up a bit so he was sitting up, he quickly swatted her hands away feeling embarrassed of needing help, Selma didn’t seem to mind his protest though.

“You’re injured, you need help,” Selma spoke.

“I’m fine!” Faceless hissed.

Selma sighed at his response, “If you’re fine then why can’t you walk?” Selma asked.

Faceless looked at the ground and refused to answer, he felt like he was backed up in a corner and there was no way out.

“There’s a bullet lodged in your knee, it’s blocking the joints and causing them to be unable to move, I can take you back to me place and get it out,” Selma explained.

Faceless paused for a minute and then whispered, “I don’t have any money,”

Selma smiled, feeling like she was making progress, “Don’t worry, I’ll do it for free, just this once,” Selma replied.

Faceless seemed surprised by Selma’s generous offer, nearly everyone despised him and would shoot him as soon as they see him, he furrowed his brows and was hesitant to trust her, he feared that this may be a trap and the moment he dropped his guard, she would shoot him.

“Do you need help getting up?” Selma asked.

“No!” Faceless replied harshly while trying to stand.

After a few seconds of struggling to stand, he knew he couldn’t get up on his own and he looked at the ground and pouted, Selma smiled and felt amused by his stubborn personality.

“Here, let me help.” Selma spoke, offering him a hand.

Faceless hesitated to take her hand but eventually took it, however he reached around for a bit and struggled to find it, but Selma waited patiently. He grabbed her hand and Selma pulled him up and guided him to her home, the walk was slow because of his limp and he would lean on her sometimes but still growl and hiss when she tried to talk to him.

When they entered her home, she guided him to the table, and he laid on it but still seemed tense and ready to attack in case anything went south. He heard her walk away and rummage through what he thought might be a tool box since he heard metal against metal. He got nervous when he heard footsteps approach the table, especially since he had no idea what she was about to do.

“Okay, I’m gonna need you to stay still for this, okay?” Selma requested.

“Depends, what are you gonna do?” Faceless questioned.

Selma replied, “Well, first I’m gonna have to unscrew your leg so I can reach- “

Faceless suddenly jerked his leg away from her and scooted back and glared at where he thought she was.

“No way! That’ll leave me vulnerable and allow you to do whatever you want to me! I’ll be helpless!” He shouted.

Selma looked surprised then slowly began to look tired, she sighed and thought for a minute.

“If I unscrew my leg, will you let me unscrew yours?” Selma offered.

Faceless froze when he heard her offer and thought he had misheard her.

“Wait, what did you say?” He asked.

“I said will you let me unscrew your leg if I unscrew mine first. Think about, I’ll be just as helpless as you and I’ll be unable to hurt you effectively,” Selma unexplained.

Faceless’s brain stuttered he choked on a reply, eventually he just mumbled out a short ”sure” and Selma began her work.

She brought the screwdriver down to the bolt on her leg and unscrewed it, she pulled out the screw and her leg dropped to the floor with a loud thunk, Faceless jumped a bit at the noise and seemed panicked.

“What was that?” He asked, seeming on edge.

“My leg,” Selma answered.

Faceless finally relaxed a bit but still felt nervous, like at any moment he was going to feel a knife pierce his leg or chest and then he would be finished. He clenched his fists when he felt the screwdriver touch his leg, when he felt the screw be pulled out, he felt a bubbling feeling in his gut, he felt nervous and anxious.

“Ouch, that bullet’s lodged in there good, how did that happen?” Selma asked.

“Showdown Bandit,” Faceless replied with a hiss in his voice, he clearly despised the character.

“It sounds like you hate him,” Selma spoke.

“Hate doesn’t begin to cover it,” Faceless hissed.

Selma paused for a moment, “Why though? He’s a nice guy?” She asked.

“You know for a doctor, you sure do talk a lot,” Faceless remarked.

Selma sighed and continued her work, when she first made an attempt to remove the bullet, she found it was embedded deeply and Faceless groaned in pain and pulled his leg back a bit.

“Hang on, this is gonna hurt, let me get something to numb it.” Selma spoke, reaching down to her tools to get something.

Faceless wished he had eyes so he could see what she was doing, he didn’t trust anyone so not knowing what she was doing made him nervous and on edge. He paused when he heard the sound of glass and liquid swishing, Selma pulled out a liquor bottle and held it out to Faceless for a few moments.

“Are ya gonna take it?” Selma asked.

Faceless growled at that, “I can’t see,” He hissed.

Selma blushed in embarrassment and muttered an apology; she unscrewed the cap on the bottle and put it next to Faceless’s hand.

“It’s on your right,” She spoke.

Faceless fumbled a bit with his right hand but eventually found the bottle and took a swig of it, after a few sips he handed it back to Selma, she screwed the top back on and put it away.

Selma put the screwdriver to the bullet but before moving it, she looked back up at Faceless, “Alright, I’m about to pry it out, it’s gonna hurt so get ready,” Selma warned.

Faceless clenched his fists on the table and took a deep breath, Selma edged the screwdriver under the bullet and began to wedge it out, Faceless clenched his teeth and hissed in pain. Selma finally managed to get under the bullet the wedge it out. It slid out of the wound and fell down to the table with a clink. Faceless sighed in relief that the bullet was out, and the pain was finally over, Selma let out a sigh, glad that the job was done.

She threw the bullet away and screwed Faceless’s leg back on, Faceless smiled that the ordeal was over, and his leg was finally back on, he bended his leg and tested it a bit to make sure it was functioning again. His grin widened when he found the leg to be finally working, he jumped down from the table and put some leg on the formerly injured leg to make sure it was working again and felt relieved when it stood strong. Selma felt pride at seeing Faceless clearly enjoying her work, she screwed her own leg back on and stepped down from the table and put the screwdriver away.

“Looks like you’re happy,” Selma smiled.

Faceless froze when he heard her, he forgot she was there for a second, he blushed at being caught looking like a little kid that just got a new toy. His grin soon turned into his signature frown and he looked down at the floor.

“Uh, you did a good job,” Faceless replied, hesitant to speak at first.

Selma smiled, knowing that he clearly enjoyed it since that was considered a great compliment coming from a man like him, he was very reserved and rarely spoke kindly to people.

“Well, the leg is fixed but in a few weeks, the wound will be made wider from all the rubbing from your joint, so I suggest coming back in a week and by then I’ll have made a replacement leg for you, as good as the original,” Selma explained.

Faceless was surprised by her offer and her generosity, “Really? You’d do that for me?” Faceless asked, looking at her shocked.

“Of course, I always help people in need, it’s why I become a doctor,” Selma replied.

He eyed her suspiciously, “You are aware I’m the Faceless Bandit, right? You know, one of the biggest villains in the show?” He questioned.

“Faceless, I have helped literally every person in town, I don’t really judge anyone or care what their character or career choice is,” Selma replied, finding his shock slightly amusing.

He was surprised by her apathy to his job and character role and they stood in silence for a moment.

“So, next week then?” He asked awkwardly.

Selma smiled sweetly and nodded, “Next week, come in and I’ll replace it for you,” she replied.

Faceless’s frown slightly raised into what could be argued was a hypothetical smile and Selma felt her work really pay off at that moment, she had just made the most evil and infamous villain in Showdown Valley slightly smile.

“So, do you need help getting home to the door or?” She asked,

Faceless’s small smile immediately dropped and he got slightly defensive, “I’ve got it,” He replied.

He walked to the wall that had the exit on it, he felt the wall for the door and struggled to find the knob for a minute, Selma wanted to help him, but she knew he would refuse so she stayed silent. He eventually found the knob and turned it open, he walked out but suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at the ground before turning around and looking at Selma.

“Uh, thanks, by the way,” He mumbled.

Selma smiled,” No problem,” she replied and leaned against the door frame.

Faceless’s frown turned a little, his face looked a little softer and he turned around and walked off into the desert, Selma watched his figure slowly disappear into the red sky in the distance and she thought for a moment. She was now aqquantices with the Faceless bandit, even if he wouldn’t admit it to anyone. She was now on good standing with one of the most feared men in all of Showdown Valley, she laughed to herself, first the sheriff, the law of the land; and now, the Faceless bandit, the biggest villain in town. She sighed and smiled; she knew things were going to get interesting in the future.


	2. Back For Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless finally decides to go back to Selma's place to take up the offer she gave him, unfortunately it'll end with them both questioning their feelings and the future like young teenagers.

Faceless looked down at his leg and kept thinking about Selma’s offer, it confused him but also made him feel happy which frustrated him, Faceless considered himself to somewhat of a simple man, he didn’t really think of anything complex other than plans to kill Showdown so to have all these confusing thoughts running around in his head pissed him off. He was flattered and confused by Selma’s generosity, he wasn’t used to people being so kind to him and it made him feel something he couldn’t explain, it felt both good and bad.

He leaned back on his bed and looked up, not fearing breaking the rule since he couldn’t see, he sighed loudly and continued to think, he had been putting off going to Selma’s house since he still felt unsure about their acquaintanceship. He knew he had to see her soon if he wanted to avoid having a broken leg in the future but seeing Selma weirdly frightened him, not in a way that he was scared of her but rather what could happen. He didn’t like uncertainty, it was one of his biggest fears and he hated this sense of dread hanging over him, he groaned in annoyance and rose from his position. He was the Faceless Bandit, one of the most feared people in Showdown Valley and here he was afraid to visit the doctor, that feeling of cowardice filled him with a weird sense of determination, however it was probably more like spite or trying to prove something if he was being honest.

He wasn’t sure who or what he wanted to prove to but he didn’t question it and stood up from his bed and walked out of his house, it was a good thing he didn’t stumble to find the door, he was getting better and memorizing areas and feeling his way through places. He stormed off to Selma’s house, still determined to prove to himself that he wasn’t afraid of these feelings, he blushed to himself when he worded it like that and tried to take his mind off it by focusing on his walking and making sure he was on the right path.

Selma said goodbye to her patient as they thanked her and walked out the door, she left out a sigh of relief, glad that her work was finally done. Almost no one showed up at around this hour so she could finally sit down and relax, she nearly jumped out of her chair when she heard a loud knock on her door, she was confused and stared at the door for a minute and she thought she had hallucinated the noise but jumped a little when she heard the same knocking again, this time louder.

She got up from her seat and rushed to the door and opened it and was surprised to see it was the Faceless Bandit, he looked more unhappy than usual and even a little embarrassed but she chose not to comment on it.

“Oh, you’re here, come in.” Selma said, opening the door for him.

Her kindness still unsettled Faceless but he still walked through the door, she guided him to the table and he sat on it.

“Okay, give me a second, I’ll get the spare leg.” Selma spoke, walking off to the private part of her house.

Faceless found himself weirdly disliking her absence, mostly because it gave him time to think about his emotions which was the opposite of what he wanted, he crossed his legs and he gnawed on his finger, it was an annoying nervous habit he had. He jumped a bit when Selma walked back in and made her presence known to him.

“It took a while to get the schematics to make it, your file was hard to get my hands on and it was really damaged, it’s a good thing your build is so similar to Showdown,” Selma spoke while carrying the spare leg.

She set the leg on the table and brought up her tool box and began to take out the necessary items for the procedure, Faceless listened to the clinking of metal and thought on Selma’s words.

“What do you mean by schematics?” He asked.

“Oh, every puppet has papers on them, their design and their measurements, I get them from a private section in the town’s library,” Selma replied.

“Why would you need them?” Faceless asked, raising one eyebrow higher than the other.

Selma smiled and laughed a bit at his question which confused Faceless, “Well, I need measurements if I want to make to a correct limb replacement, if I just guessed then it would go horribly wrong,” she replied.

Faceless thought a bit on her answer and internally laughed at the results of the hypothetical situation if she just guessed the measurements, either the limbs would be too long or too short, both would be awkward to work with.

“So, why is Showdown’s measurements and design so similar to yours?” Selma asked.

Faceless was pulled out of his thoughts at that question and growled and his face darkened, “I’m not going to answer that,” He replied.

Selma learned that was the line he drew, that was the kind of question she couldn’t ask, she was trying to figure out how to talk to him and what would be too far for him, she had concluded it was anything about his face, his past, or anything about Showdown.

“So, do you want me to unscrew my leg, or do you trust me now?” Selma asked.

Faceless paused a bit, not knowing where he stood on that question, he wasn’t to trust anyone, so it was little jarring to feel unsure on the topic for probably the first time in forever.

He swallowed his pride and answered, “Sure, you don’t need to take off your leg.” Faceless replied, crossing his arms.

Selma chose not to tease him since she knew that was probably a difficult choice for him and she shouldn’t mock him for it, she smiled and felt happy to know that they had made that much progress in their acquaintanceship. Perhaps their relationship would border on friendship soon, she smiled at the thought of that. She unscrewed his damaged leg and replaced it with the brand new one, when her work was complete, she put away her tool box and moved the old leg out of the way.

“Alright, give it a minute and you should be able to move it soon, I’m going to throw this away, I’ll be right back,” She spoke.

She picked up the leg and walked outside, Faceless heard the door close and he looked down at his new leg, at first it felt numb then a tingling feeling starting to come from it, like when you sit on your foot but this feeling was much fainter and less annoying. Soon, it started to feel familiar to him, like it was the same old leg. He tried to kick it and the response was a little delayed, but it still happened, it didn’t have the same amount of force he intended but he felt like he was making process. He continued to move the leg until he had much better control on it, he smiled to himself when he could move the leg in an instance and at the force he wanted to use.

He felt a little confident and daring so he decided to try putting weight on the leg and got down from the table but he overestimated his control over the leg and immediately fell and groaned in pain, suddenly he heard quick footsteps and Selma quickly opened the door and panicked when she saw him.

“I heard something fall, what happened?” She asked while rushing to his side.

Faceless felt a little embarrassed to answer but acted like it was no big deal, “I was just trying to see if I could use the new leg to walk,” He replied.

Selma felt relaxed when she learned it wasn’t anything serious, she soon realized that Faceless was the kind of patient that didn’t wait to recover, rather he was the kind that wanted to leave as soon as possible, he was fiercely independent.

“Well of course you fell, you can’t immediately start using your new leg like that, it takes a bit,” Selma explained.

Faceless grimaced when he heard that, he didn’t want to stay here longer, he liked Selma’s company, but it also brought up those strange feelings he couldn’t understand.

“Well, how do I get used to it?” He asked.

“Easy, just take it one step at a time, literally,” Selma joked.

Faceless had to fight the smile that was begging to come on his face, he loved puns and word play, but he would rather be dead than let anyone know that.

“So how do we start?” He asked.

“First, let’s get up, here.” She replied, offering him a hand.

Faceless hesitated to take her hand out of fear of looking weak and needing help, however it felt like there was less hostility than last time. He eventually took it and she pulled him up, he was leaning towards her to support himself since his new leg was a little shaky, they started off slow and sometimes Faceless would almost fall to the ground, but Selma always caught him in time. He slowly started to push himself off her and he got more used to his new leg, eventually, he could walk with the new limb with the confidence of not falling.

Selma smiled at their success,” You’re a fast learner, wait a bit though before you try running since you’ll need time to get use to the new limb,” Selma spoke.

Faceless smiled at the feeling of his new limb, he was a very damaged puppet with battered limbs so to have the feeling of a new, undamaged limb was like euphoria for him. For the first time in forever he felt a genuine smile cross his face, he felt so happy he forgot that he wasn’t alone.

Selma smiled at Faceless’s happiness, she always loved seeing her patients happy, the weird thing though was that she felt a different kind of happiness when she saw him smile, it was a familiar feeling.

She knew what this was in her chest, it was just like the time when she was with the sheriff.

She froze when she thought about that and she quickly shoved it into the deep corners of her mind, she thought about anything to distract herself from that thought, her medical research, previous patients, the intricate process of carving wood, literally anything else.

They were both brought out of their thoughts when there was a loud knocking on the front door, they both froze, wondering who would be knocking at this hour.

“Selma? Are you in there?” The sheriff called out.

Faceless felt his heart stop when he heard the sheriff, he froze in pure fear, he had no way to defend himself. Selma and Faceless looked at each other at the same time, Faceless looked at her silently pleading to her to help him, and Selma looked at him unsure of what to do.

Selma thought for a minute and then grew a determined look on her face and clenched her firsts.

“Uh, give me a second, I’ve got to clean up,” Selma called out, faking a cheery tone.

Before Faceless could ask what she was doing, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along into the back of the house, normally he would yank his hand out of her grasp but for some reason he followed her. She stopped at some point and he waited behind her, he heard the sound of a door unlocking, she must’ve been opening the back door of the house.

“Come on, through here, he won’t see you,” Selma ushered.

Faceless stared at her shocked, she was helping him sneak out and escape the sheriff’s grasp, this wasn’t something you do in showdown valley, when the sheriff showed up, you told him when you saw a crook.

“Come on! You need to go before the Sheriff gets suspicious!” Selma barked.

Faceless was pulled out of his thoughts and he quickly rushed out of the door, he turned back around to face Selma before she could close the door.

“Thanks, by the way, for everything,” Faceless spoke, hesitant to speak at first.

Selma’s brain stuttered at the response, but she quickly brushed it off, “Your welcome, come back if you ever need help.” Selma replied, closing the door.

Faceless was surprised by her offer but also weirdly happy and he couldn’t figure out why, but he didn’t have time to think on it, he shoved it away in his mind and ran back to his hideout.

Selma let out a breath, gathering herself and putting on a smile and pretending that everything was fine. She walked back to the front door and opened it and smiled warmly at the sheriff, he seemed surprised to see her, probably because it took her so long to open the door, he walked by her through the door way and turned to look at her.

“Hey Selma, what took you so long?” The sheriff asked, trying to make polite conversation.

He always tried to make long conversations with Selma, which annoyed her since she wasn’t keen on talking to him, but she still played nice since it was the polite thing to do and he was the sheriff.

“Oh, sorry about the wait, it just takes a long time to clean up after making replacement limbs, I have a patient that had a broken leg,” Selma explained.

The sheriff paused a bit when he heard the broken leg bit but seemed to brush it off,” Anyway, I’m here because some townspeople reported sightings of the Faceless bandit near this area and I came to see if you were okay or saw anything,” The sheriff replied.

Selma internally panicked when she heard that, but she kept it all inside, she was quite good at hiding panic.

“I’m fine, I haven’t seen anything, and no one told me about it,” Selma spoke, pretending to sound concerned about the infamous bandit.

“Well, good to here, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, if you see anything, please let me know,” The sheriff replied.

He walked to the door and opened it but turned around to face Selma before leaving, “By the way, you should come to the saloon when you’re not busy, I’ll buy you a drink,” The sheriff offered.

Selma internally cringed at his response but still stayed polite, “Sure, but it might be a while before that can happen, I’m often very busy,” Selma replied.

The sheriff’s faint smile faded a bit and he returned back to his usual, stoic expression and he walked out of the door. When the door close and Selma was sure that he was a good distance away, she leaned back against the table and let out a sigh of relief, she put her head in hands and thought back to what she had said to Faceless, she basically offered the villain of the show to come and go to her house as he pleased, this wasn’t allowed, she wasn’t allowed to feel this way towards him. She couldn’t even fully figure out what she felt towards him since this was such a foreign concept to her, fraternizing with the enemy, she could be killed along with Faceless if they were caught together, so why did she still want to see him? She leaned further against the table practically lying on it at that point, she wanted to sob and laugh at her situation and let out a quiet mix of both, there wasn’t much she could do about the situation at hand so she would just have to wait and see what the future held, she wondered how Faceless was dealing with this, she laughed at the thought of the terrifying Faceless Bandit thinking about his feelings like a lovestruck teenager.

Meanwhile, Faceless was silently screaming in his head while looking up at the ceiling, he kept on thinking about Selma’s offer and how frustrating it was about how he felt, he was supposed to be the Faceless Bandit, the most feared man in town, not some lovestruck teenager. He cringed at the word, he didn’t want the word love anywhere near his mind at the time, the weird thing is he didn’t like the word because it brought up those feelings he was trying to avoid. He sighed loudly, he didn’t know what to do, a part of him wanted to avoid ever seeing Selma, rather hearing actually, but another point begged to be with her. He wanted her presence because she was so kind to him, and there was another reason, but he didn’t dare say or think it.

He rose up from his bed and clenched his fists, he couldn’t hide from her like a coward, he was going to prove that nothing was wrong by hanging out with her like it was nothing, in a week they’d probably get over their weird short term friendship, they’d part and then he would never have to think about it again, he gave their relationship two weeks tops. After all, what else could they do?


	3. Awkward Episode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless and Selma think that some distance between each other will settle their confusing emotions but sadly the show has over plans for them

It had been a few weeks since Faceless and Selma were last in contact with each other and neither had found any peace in their spare time, they were still confused and thinking about their relationship since acquaintances didn’t seem to fit them anymore. After all, it’s not everyday you save your “acquaintance” from being caught by the law, Selma hoped to avoid him to ignore her feelings while Faceless insisted to himself that he had absolutely no fear of the situation yet for some reason always left a place whenever he heard Selma’s voice in the crowd. They both had no contact with each other and parts of them wanted it to stay that way but sadly the show have over plans for them, it never liked to leave drama alone.

Both were called to the saloon to be told about the script of the newest episode and the rolls they would play in it, most were just told to stand in a certain place at a certain time, Selma and Faceless already knew their roles so they decided to not pay much attention. When they arrived everyone warmly welcomed Selma and glared at Faceless, Selma weirdly felt her face heat up when Faceless stood by her, she was feeling so awkward and yet the funny thing is Faceless probably didn’t know she was next to him since he couldn’t see.

She finally bit the bullet and turned to say something to the outlaw,” Hi,” She spoke.

Faceless jumped a little when he heard her voice but managed to maintain his composure and continue the strong silent type facade.

“Hi,” Faceless replied.

Silence returned to the two and it was made more awkward by both of them now knowing each other’s presence, Faceless griped his scythe tighter and he tried to keep telling himself that it wasn’t awkward and that he wasn’t afraid of talking to her meanwhile Selma was biting her tongue.

Faceless quietly sighed and caved and turned his head to where he believed Selma was,” So uh, what’s your role gonna be in the latest episode?” He asked quietly.

Selma was a little surprised he continued the conversation, “Oh, uh, I’m just a background character I think, that’s what I usually am,” Selma replied.

Faceless was a little surprised, she seemed like the type to have a bigger role in the show, how could she not be more important? She was kind and intelligent and from what he heard she was also quite pretty; she deserved a bigger spot in the show. Faceless paused and thought to himself, that was weird, why did he suddenly think that so strongly? He usually never cared about a person’s role in the show unless it actually affected him, so why did he care now? This was bringing up those old, confusing feelings and Faceless quickly internally panicked and shoved them down and tried to think of anything else, luckily Selma continued the conversation which gave him a distraction.

“So what’s your role? Background character? Damsel?” Selma jokingly asked.

Usually Faceless would quickly assert his role as a fearsome villain but instead he found himself feeling relaxed by Selma’s sarcastic question and he felt a smile tugging at his lips.

“No, didn’t you hear? I’m the love interest,” Faceless replied with a smug, entertained look.

Selma had to stop herself from laughing, she didn’t expect him to actually reply with a joke, this was the Faceless Bandit, a stoic silent man that would kill you with hesitation, not someone that made jokes, it seems he was also a man filled with surprises.

Selma let out a small chuckle and replied, “Oh? With who?”

Faceless grew a small, faint smile. This was fun, why was it so fun? They were just talking so why did he feel so happy? Not that he was complaining.

“Showdown Bandit,” Faceless replied.

Faceless felt his heart sing when he heard Selma’s muffled laughter as she covered her mouth to quiet her giggling, he loved that sound and he didn’t know why but he wanted to hear it more, before he could continue the joke he heard a familiar voice that made him growl.

Showdown Bandit walked through the crowd and eventually passed the two, Faceless had to restrain himself from tackling the smaller bandit.

“Afternoon, Selma.” Showdown greeted with a friendly smile and tipping his hat and the woman.

Hello, Showdown,” Selma replied with a sweet smile.

Showdown looked at Faceless and his friendly smile turned into a smug smirk.

“Hey Faceless,” Showdown smirked.

Faceless groaned and was about to strike until he felt a hand on his shoulder, he would’ve hissed at whoever it was, but he paused when he heard the voice the hand belonged to.

“So, Showdown, any idea what this episode is gonna be about? We haven’t heard much about the plot,” Selma asked.

Faceless relaxed and his grip on his scythe loosened but he still glared at Showdown, Selma took this as a signal that he was calm now and she didn’t have to worry about a fight happening.

“Eh, something about a bank robbery I have to stop, I’ve heard some rumors that there’s gonna be a hostage or a damsel in distress,” Showdown replied with a shrug.

“Oh, sounds like this episode is gonna have some action and tension,” Selma said, smiling.

The crowd suddenly started murmuring about the sheriff and that was a signal to both of the bandits that it was time to go, otherwise a fight was guaranteed to happen, Showdown ran for the saloon door and Faceless was about to go but turned around to face Selma.

“Uh, maybe I’ll see you in the episode,” Faceless nervously spoke.

Selma felt her face heat up but tried to ignore it, “That’s sound nice, I hope so,” Selma replied.

Faceless felt his heart sing a little and a smile grow on his face, but he forced himself to return back to his normal, gruff expression and he ran for the door.

Both of them waited for the episode and hoped to see each other but also dreaded it because they knew if they saw each other again they would have another sweet moment and then they would have to think about each other more. They just had to hope for the best and pray that something resolved this internal tension.

The day the episode was scheduled came far too soon and they both felt a nervous feeling bubble in their stomach, but they ignored it and stayed in character as the show’s rules dictated they do. Selma felt her strings tug on her and she followed their tugging until she was eventually at the bank, that’s when the tugging feeling finally stopped she relaxed and made small talk with the other townspeople that were there, when she saw the banker, she smiled and approached him.

“Hey Banker, excited for today’s episode?” Selma asked.

The banker looked up to Selma and smiled, “Eh, a little nervous, bank robberies always frighten me,” Banker replied.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine, you always are,” Selma reassured the nervous man.

Suddenly the lights turned on and off signaling the cast to get into place before the episode started, they all walked into place and waited for their turn to act. Selma heard the theme song of the show go off in the distance as well as Showdown greeting the kids and going on about adventure, all the sudden Faceless burst through the doors and everyone froze and backed away in fear. Faceless stormed over to the banker and the smaller man cowered in fear at the sight of scarred man, Faceless put his scythe dangerously close to the banker’s face as a threat.

“Open the safe. Now,” Faceless growled.

Banker quickly rushed to the safe in the back and opened it for the outlaw, Faceless grabbed the bags of money in it and was about to leave until Showdown rushed through the doors.

“Not so fast Faceless!” Showdown shouted, aiming his cork gun at the outlaw.

Faceless dropped the money bag and ran at Showdown and tried to hit the smaller man but kept missing due to his blindness, Showdown laughed at his efforts and this angered Faceless even more.

While Faceless was distracted, all the people in the bank ran for the door and fled, all except selma because every time she tried to move her strings kept her in place. In that moment it finally hit her that in this episode her role wasn’t a background character, she was gonna be a damsel in distress.

“Man, you’re really bad at this,” Showdown said smugly.

Faceless growled, “Shut up you stupid copy cat!” He shouted before slicing at showdown with his scythe.

Faceless missed again and Showdown was clearly enjoying his frustration, “If anyone’s the copycat it’s you! Now this is how you really aim.” Showdown smirked, aiming his cork gun.

He fired at Faceless and it hit him square in his shoulder causing the limb to become dislodged from his socket and he hissed in pain, the limb felt like it was dangling from a string and the pain was searing. Faceless panicked and tried to think of a solution, suddenly showdown interrupted his thoughts when he shouted something.

“What are you doing!? Get out of here!” Showdown shouted at Selma.

Before Selma could answer Faceless ran to her and wrapped an arm around her and put his scythe dangerously close to her neck.

“Stand back Showdown! Or they’re gonna get it!” Faceless shouted, not knowing who he was holding.

“What are you doing!?” Selma shouted.

Faceless froze and panicked when he heard her voice and recognized it, “Selma?!” He said, sounding shocked.

“Woah now! Let’s not do anything hasty! Just let her go!” Showdown pleaded.

While Showdown had his guard down Faceless ran at him and kicked him out the door, before Showdown could get up Faceless quickly grabbed the door and slammed it shut and put his scythe on the handle to prevent it from being opened. He heard Showdown pounding on the door and shouting but he ignored it, he walked past Selma who looked relieved that the scythe was away from her throat.

“Thanks for not actually going through with the whole hostage thing, now what do we do?” Selma asked.

Faceless quickly turned around and approached her, “Oh, don’t make a mistake, you’re still my hostage, but be glad you’re not like my usual hostages.“ He turned around and picked up the bag of money, “I’m referring to the fact I usually tie my hostages up,” He continued.

“I got that,” Selma replied a little annoyed.

“Look, I’m sorry but having you here is the only reason I’m not dead yet. Besides, don’t worry I’m gonna take the money and head out the back, then I’ll be out of your hair,” Faceless spoke.

Selma was about to protest but then she noticed his dangling arm and suddenly her annoyance was replaced with concern.

“Wait, your arm,” She spoke.

Faceless looked down at his dangling arm and back to Selma, “Yeah, what about it?” Faceless asked.

“Hang on, let me help.” Selma replied, walking up to him.

Faceless panicked internally when she said that, every time she helped him it made these feelings worse and he didn’t need any more of it. He growled and moved his damaged shoulder away from her.

“It’s fine,” He growled.

“No, it’s not, any more damage and that arm is gonna pop off and you’re gonna have a much bigger problem on your hands.” Selma protested.

“I’m gonna be fine! I’ll just go out the back,” Faceless hissed.

Selma furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, “Okay, then, let’s say you hold the money with your good arm, what about your scythe? You sure it can handle it? Secondly, the moment you take that scythe off the door Showdown will rush in and shoot you with his gun.” Selma glared at Faceless while speaking.

Faceless froze and tried to disprove her but he knew he couldn’t, he groaned and finally held out his damaged shoulder to Selma, she smiled and sat him down.

“Okay, this is gonna hurt, you got anything to bite on?” Selma asked.

Faceless held up his arm and bit his coat sleeve, Selma took his shoulder and was about to pop it back in place, Faceless tensed and readied himself for the pain, Selma noticed how tense he was and thought for a moment.

“Hey Faceless, ya wanna know why I hate stairs?” Selma asked.

Faceless was thrown off by her question because he wasn’t expecting, he turned to her looking confused and let his mouth off his coat.

“Wait, what?” Faceless asked.

“Do you wanna know why I hate stairs?” Selma repeated.

Faceless paused for a moment, “Uh, sure?” He replied sounding confused.

“It’s because they’re always leading up to something, “Selma said with a giggle and a goofy smile.

Faceless sat silent for a moment before Selma could’ve sworn she heard the sound of a chuckle in his throat, suddenly that faint chuckle into laughter, Selma was surprised her joke worked so well but was still happy.

“You actually like puns?” Selma asked with a grin.

“Yeah, they’re funny,” He replied with a genuine smile, “Don’t tell anyone I like puns or I will kill you,” He spoke in full seriousness.

“Okay! My lips are sealed, but still, you’re the Faceless Bandit, and you like puns?” Selma repeated, sounding amused and shocked.

Soon she and Faceless got into a conversation about puns and swapping them between each other, when she was sure that Faceless was completely distracted, she suddenly popped his shoulder back into his socket and Faceless let out a short cry of pain before going silent and rubbing the once injured shoulder.

“Thanks,” He said quietly.

“No problem,” Selma replied with a small smile.

They stood in silence for a moment before Faceless spoke again.

“Why did you say the pun though?” Faceless asked.

“You were tense, and I knew if you were tense it was going to hurt more when I popped your shoulder back in place, so I decided to distract you to make you loosen up,” Selma explained.

Faceless felt his heart sing again, Selma always impressed him with her knowledge and her kindness and willingness to help and deal with any problem, she really was one of a kind.

The feeling of happiness soon faded though when they both remembered their predicament; they were stuck in here and they needed to find a way out that didn’t involve Faceless getting shot again. Selma put her hand to her chin and tapped her cheek as she tried to think of a plan, her eyes lit up and she looked at Faceless and smiled.

“I have an idea!” Selma beamed.

“You do?” Faceless replied.

Faceless leaned in to listen better as Selma explained her plan.

“Okay, so at this point Showdown isn’t concerned with you robbing the place, instead his focus will be all on me and my safety, so just go out with me, toss me to him and run for the hills, Showdown will be too busy paying attention to me to notice you,” Selma explained.

“Sounds like a plan,” Faceless replied.

“That’s because it is,” Selma giggled.

Faceless grinned and tried to hold back a chuckle, they both took a deep breath to regain their composure and get into character.

“Remember, you’re the big tough guy, I’m the damsel in distress,” Selma reminded him.

“Got it,” Faceless replied.

Faceless grabbed the bag of money and quickly grabbed the scythe from the door and grabbed Selma put it to her throat, the doors were thrown open by Showdown Bandit who looked ready to fight.

“Back up Showdown, nice and slow or Selma here is gonna be needing a new purpose for a neck.” Faceless hissed, putting his scythe closer to Selma’s throat.

“Do what he says, Showdown!” Selma pleaded, with fake fear in her eyes

Showdown looked angry and frustrated, but it soon turned into a look of worry for Selma, he growled and clenched his fists and eventually complied and backed up, as did the other townspeople.

“Good, now nobody move, here’s what’s gonna happen, you let me leave and Selma won’t get hurt,” Faceless spoke loudly.

“Alright, we’ll do what you say, just hand over Selma first,” Showdown pleaded, trying to maintain a strong tone of voice as to not let Faceless sense his fear.

Before anyone could move Faceless shoved Selma into Showdown’s direction, “Here ya go, bandit!” He shouted and quickly turned around and ran away.

Showdown and several other townspeople caught Selma and they all gathered around her worried and concerned for her safety.

“Did he hurt you, Selma?” Showdown asked.

“No, the experience was just jarring, he’s a scary guy,” Selma replied, still pretending to be startled.

Once Showdown was sure that Selma was safe he turned around and ran after Faceless, meanwhile the other townspeople still crowded around Selma asking if she was hurt or needed any help.

“I promise I’m fine, he didn’t hurt me,” Selma reassured the crowd.

“You’re lucky to be okay! We all know how much of a brute Faceless can be!” Banker spoke.

“Well then, I guess I’m lucky,” Selma replied.

A young sweet voice spoke up in the crowd, “Selma!”

Selma turned around and saw Penny Hemsworth running to her, Penny pulled her into a hug and Selma returned it.

“Penny, what are you doing here?” Selma asked.

“When I heard what happened with you and Faceless, I came as soon as I could!” Penny replied.

Penny grabbed Selma’s hands and held them tightly,” Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Penny asked, concerned for her close friend.

“I’m perfectly fine, he didn’t hurt me, he’s actually not that mean,” Selma replied.

Penny looked shocked by her answer, “What are you talking about!? He’s a villain!” Penny shouted, baffled by her friend’s words.

“Hey Penny, sometimes people can shock you,” Selma replied with a shrug.


	4. Chaos At The Saloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless tries to be calm when Showdown approaches Selma at the saloon but quickly finds he is unable to stop himself from unleashing his anger on the outlaw which leads to a fight and more awkward emotions

Faceless rubbed his once injured shoulder while taking a sip of his drink, he could feel all the bar patrons’ glares on him but he was too preoccupied with his thoughts to care. He finished his drink and pushed the empty cup forward, the bar keeper shakily approached him with a bottle of beer.

"Um, another drink sir?" The bar keeper asked nervously.

Faceless reached into his coat and pulled out a couple of bandit bucks and passed it over to the nervous man. The bar keeper unscrewed the cap on the bottle and poured the outlaw another drink, he screwed the top back on and quickly walked away from the crook. Faceless grabbed the now filled cup and took a sip of it, he rubbed at his shoulder again and his mind was racing.

So far, Selma had helped him four times, once with removing the bullet from his leg, the second time was when she replaced his leg, the third was when she helped him escape the Sheriff, and the lastest was when she popped his dislocated shoulder back into place. All this kindness and helping was leaving him confused, nearly everyone would kill him on sight if they could but instead she treated him like he was a misunderstood person and it left him feeling conflicted. He was supposed to be an evil, uncaring villain that would not hesitate to kill anyone and now he was finding himself laying awake at night laughing to himself about the time Selma told him a pun. He gripped the cup in his hand even tighter and tried to convince himself that what he was feelings wasn't true, he was just confused and thrown off by her generosity. He sighed to himself and rubbed his temple, he didn't know what to do he tried his best to just ignore them and act casual but that was clearly proving to be effective because those feelings just kept growing every time he was with Selma.

Faceless paused as he heard the voice belonging to the very person he was thinking about.

"Yes, I swear it wasn't as bad as you think, Penny," Selma reassured the red head girl.

Faceless was considering approaching Selma but decided against it when he heard the doctor bring up Penny which meant she wasn't alone.

"But he's the Faceless bandit! He had to have done something to ya!" Penny exclaimed.

"He didn't, he just tied me up, got his stuff together and then threw me at Showdown,” Selma answered, clearly tired of having to restate her answer.

Faceless clenched his fists angerly, he wanted to walk over and state the facts right to Penny's face, but he knew that would go wrong very quickly. He sighed and decided to just listen but another voice joining the conversation quickly had him changing his mind.

"Hey Selma," Showdown bandit greeted the woman with a friendly smile.

"Hello Showdown," the two women smiled at the sight of the friendly outlaw.

Faceless wanted to get right up and punch that little man but he decided against that since it would cause a big fight causing him to get banned from the only saloon that allowed him in and it would ruin Selma's evening and that would make him feel bad.

Wait, why would that make him feel bad?

He pushed that thought aside and decided to focus on the three's conversation.

"Ya mind if I take a seat?" Showdown asked.

"Sure, go right ahead," Selma answered, smiling at the outlaw.

Showdown pulled out a chair and sat next to Selma, Faceless didn't know why but felt his non-existent blood start to boil, Showdown's presence always made him mad but not this kind of mad.

"So, how have you been after that hostage situation with Faceless? Are you okay?" Showdown asked, his voice laced with concern.

Selma smiled and rolled her eyes, "Yes, for the hundredth time, I am fine," she replied.

Showdown laughed sheepishly at her response' "Sorry, I'm just worried is all" He explained.

Faceless groaned to himself in annoyance every time he heard Showdown speak, but what he said next didn't annoy him, it pissed him off.

"Anyway, Selma, I'm here to ask something else," Showdown spoke nervously with a coy smile.

Faceless suddenly grabbed his scythe and gripped it tightly, he grit his teeth and was seething at this point but he couldn't understand why, it was confusing. Why was he suddenly so mad at Showdown wanting to ask a question?

Penny's smile suddenly turned mischievous and she got up from the table abruptly.

"Oh, I almost forgot! I have this thing I need to do, well I'll leave! You two have fun," She said with a mischievous smile.

Selma knew what she was doing, and she was amused by Penny's statement but also wished she'd stay so it wouldn't feel so awkward.

Showdown looked back to Selma and smiled, "So Selma, I've known you for a long time and we've become really close friends," he said shyly.

Selma felt sad knowing what he was about to say and how she would have to tell him that she wasn't interested.

Faceless was restraining himself from getting up and killing the smaller outlaw but his patience was running dangerously thin, but he still couldn't understand why, this was a new kind of anger. He growled in frustration, why did that idiotic outlaw think he could talk to Selma, she wasn't interested in him! She only liked him, the obvious better choice! 

Wait, why did he think that? Why was so he concerned about who Selma liked? And why was he so mad at the idea of Selma liking someone other than him? He grimaced to himself for thinking like that, for declaring to himself that only Selma liked him, as if he immediately knew what she wanted, more than she did.

"You're really nice and pretty and when we met, you didn't care that I was a bandit, so I thinking and I was wondering," Showdown paused as he twiddled his thumbs and blushed.

Selma felt terrible having to break his heart, but she decided to let him finish and smiled at him.

"Would you ever want to go out on a date with me?" Showdown asked shyly with a copy smile.

At that moment Faceless felt something snap in him, who was this idiot thinking he could get with Selma? What made him think he deserved her? Wait, why did he think that? In fact, why was he standing up now? Why was he walking over to him ready to fight? He didn't really have a cohesive answer for anything of those questions but that didn't stop him from moving.

Selma sighed sadly and looked at Showdown, "Listen, I'm flattered and all, but I just don't feel the same way," 

Before Selma could finish Faceless ran at Showdown and tackled him, Selma gasped and got up from the table as Faceless tried to strangle the smaller bandit.

Showdown looked panicked but quickly punched Faceless which made him loosen his grip enough allowing the smaller outlaw to wiggle himself free. While Faceless was distracted, Showdown quickly ran out of the saloon, Faceless growled in pain and then got back up and followed the bandit, everyone watched looking shocked but Selma became annoyed, having a pretty good idea as to why Faceless suddenly went off the handle and attacked Showdown out of the blue. She clenched her fists and stormed out of the saloon to follow the two and stop their fight before anyone could get hurt.

It wasn't hard to track them down; she could hear them shouting from a mile away. She groaned in frustration and followed the shouting, it felt like she had to stop a teenage boy from fighting.

"You're not good enough to be with Selma!" Faceless shouted at the smaller bandit, swinging his scythe at him.

Showdown quickly dodged and growled at Faceless, "What do you care!? You're the Faceless Bandit! Why would you care about who I date!?" He barked.

Faceless growled at that question and didn't answer it and instead ran at Showdown to attack him again.

"You're just a useless, insignificant outlaw! Meanwhile she is a genius doctor, and probably the nicest person in all of Showdown Valley! What makes you think you're worth any of her time!?" Faceless shouted.

"Why do you care about what Selma deserves!? You held her hostage!" Showdown yelled.

Faceless froze for a moment and panicked internally, why was he so mad about this, this wasn’t his normal outburst and it confused and terrified him. He growled in frustration and rather than answer the bandit he wheeled back his fist and tried to punch him, Showdown quickly dodged and reached for his cork gun.

“You’re a bad guy! Why are you so angry about this!? Do you have a crush on her or something!?” Showdown shouted.

Faceless froze in place and felt his brain snap at that question, Showdown took this chance to pull out his cork gun and aim it at Faceless, before he could pull the trigger a loud voice cried out.

“Not so fast Faceless!” Selma shouted while holding a rock in one of her hands.

Both of the bandits looked at her surprised, Selma quickly threw the rock but sadly missed and it instead hit Showdown square in the face and he fell backwards unconscious, Selma gasped and put her hands over her mouth when she saw it hit him.

“I was aiming at you,” Selma spoke aghast.

Faceless was silent for a moment but growled and took his scythe out and quickly prepared to strike the unconscious, defenseless bandit. Selma quickly noticed this and ran at him and grabbed the scythe from him and yanked it out of his hands, Faceless was more shocked than angry at her but Selma just glared at him and looked ready to attack.

“What is wrong with you!?” Selma shouted.

“What?” Faceless replied, confused by her question and shocked by her shouting.

“What is wrong with you!?” she repeated, “You were fine until Showdown got ready to ask me out! Then you freaked out all of the sudden! What’s wrong with you!?” Selma screamed.

Faceless stuttered for a bit and tried to come up with an answer but couldn’t think of anything and he looked ashamed and embarrassed, Selma glared at him and sighed.

“You know, I wasn’t even gonna out with him! I don’t like him like that! But if I did, I should be allowed to! That’s my choice! Not yours!” She barked, pointing her finger at him.

Faceless felt ashamed of himself at that moment, he tried to speak at that moment but the words refused to come out of his mouth and it felt like he was choking.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?” Selma questioned like a disappointed parent.

Faceless clenched his fists and had to use all of his strength to utter any words, “I was, afraid, that if you said yes, you’d leave and I would never see you again,” Faceless mumbled.

Selma processed what he said and sighed and put her hand to her temple in frustration, she felt tired.

“Faceless, even if I was with Showdown I wouldn’t just abandon you out of the blue!” Selma replied.

Faceless looked at Selma surprised, “Really?” He croaked.

Selma looked surprised and then sad by his response, “Oh wow, you’ve never really had anyone stick with you, have you?” She asked sadly.

Faceless looked at the ground and rubbed his shoulder awkwardly, “No, not really,” Faceless replied.

Selma looked at him apologetically and sighed, “Listen, I’m still kind of mad about before, but I won’t just leave you, if you promise not to let this happen again then maybe we can hang out on the weekend at my place, after hours of course,” Selma offered the bandit.

Faceless looked at her surprised and then smiled, “Really? Ya mean it?” He asked happily.

“Of course,” Selma replied, smiling.

They both smiled at each other but froze when they heard Showdown start to stir in his sleep, Selma ran to him and picked him up.

“I’ll take him home, tell him the stuff about you saying all that crush stuff was just a dream that he confused for reality,” Selma said.

“Thanks for covering my back, again,” Faceless spoke with a smile.

“No problem, see ya in a few days,” Selma replied.

Faceless heard her walk off but before her footsteps could fade, he called out to her,” Selma wait!”

She turned around and looked at him, he struggled a bit with his words but eventually managed to let out an apology.

“I’m really sorry for all of this, I acted like I knew what was best for you and this was beyond wrong and I shouldn’t have treated you like that, you’re your own person,” Faceless replied.

Selma smiled, “I forgive you, but if you ever do it again, I’ll kill you,” Selma finished with sudden seriousness.

Faceless looked shocked, “Wait what!?” He replied.

Selma laughed, “I’m joking, or am I?” She said in a joking sinister voice.

Faceless laughed and waved goodbye at her, he didn’t know if she waved back but he was pretty sure she did which made him smile.

At Selma’s house, Showdown finally awoke from his sleep and he jumped up alarmed and looked ready to attack. Selma approached him and calmed him down.

“Showdown, calm down! It’s just me!” Selma placated the bandit.

Showdown relaxed and smiled when he saw the dark-haired woman,” Selma? What happened? Where’s Faceless?” He asked.

“He knocked you out and the Sheriff showed up in time to scare him off and I took you home,” Selma lied.

Showdown paused and thought for a moment, “But, I remember you holding a rock and accidentally throwing it at me?” Showdown replied.

“You may have just confused a dream for reality, it’s a common symptom when someone has a head injury,” Selma continued to lie.

Showdown seemed to believe her and left it at that, “Well, whatever happened, I’m just glad you’re safe,” He replied.

Selma smiled at the friendly bandit, the bandit suddenly looked flustered and looked at the ground.

“What’s wrong?” Selma asked.

“Well, it’s just, I remember asking you if you wanted to go out, and if I’m correct, you said no, right?” Showdown replied.

Selma sighed and felt guilty, “Yeah, I did, I just don’t feel the same way, I see you as a friend, so I’m hoping that we can still be friends despite what happened.” Selma offered.

Showdown smiled at her, “Yeah, sure,” he replied.

They sat in silence for a moment before Showdown broke it again.

“Sorry if this is a bit of awkward question but, are you interested in anyone?” He asked.

Selma blushed a bit and those intrusive thoughts quickly returned, “No, well yes, well sort of? It’s complicated,” Selma replied.

“Well, whoever they are, I’m sure they’re lucky,” Showdown spoke with a smile.


	5. Bank Robbery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless hangs out with Selma at her house however it quickly turns awkward, so Faceless has the bright idea to show Selma how to do a bank robbery

Selma felt both excitement and dread from the upcoming weekend, she thought it would take forever to get there allowing her time to think but instead time passed a little too quickly for her liking, she stared at the wall while sitting at her desk and tapped her finger on her desk as she waited for the inevitable.

He was taking longer than expected so Selma tried to distract herself by looking at old medical books that she would use to study for exams, when a loud knocking banged on her door, she was so startled that she nearly fell out of her chair. Selma quickly got out of her chair and looked at the door nervously and thought about whether or not she should answer it since she couldn’t be sure if it was Faceless, she took fistfuls of her apron and scrunched them up in her hand as she debated saying something.

“Uh, hello?” She called out nervously.

“It’s me, Faceless, “He replied hesitantly and awkwardly.

Selma sighed in relief but was still anxious, she rushed to the door and opened it and awkwardly smiled at him.

“Um, hey Faceless! Come on in!” Selma smiled, opening the door wide enough to allow him to enter.

He hesitated to enter but eventually complied and they walked to the desk where Selma had placed an extra seat and some bottles of whiskey, Selma helped Faceless find the seat and they both sat in awkward silence as both sipped on their drinks.

“So, now what?” Faceless asked.

Selma tried to smile but she couldn’t keep it up, “I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know? I don’t know what to talk about with you, we’re really different, plus you’re really secretive, no offense.” Selma replied, rubbing her shoulder and looking at the ground.

Faceless sighed, “No, you’re right,”

Selma leaned back in her chair, “I mean, I could tell you about my day, but I don’t think you’d be interested in hearing about how I cut off a man’s arm to replace it because it was so battered,”

Faceless agreed and then thought for a minute, he lifted his head a little when a thought entered his mind, it was a beyond crazy, stupid idea but honestly anything would be better than the boredom they were facing at the moment. He turned his chair to Selma and smiled at her, Selma looked at him confused, wondering why he looked so happy.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Well, we all know how your day and job goes, but you don’t know how mine goes,” Faceless spoke with a mischievous smile.

Selma’s eyes widened when she grasped what he was saying and she looked shocked, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yep, just follow me around for a day and I’ll show you what I do,” Faceless replied.

Selma was still baffled and struggled to find words, “But, you’re a bandit, that kind of work is dangerous,” Selma spoke.

“If you’re an idiot it is, Showdown does that kind of stuff every day and he’s fine, just stick with me and you’ll be fine,” Faceless reassured her.

“Eh, I don’t know, it sounds kind of exciting but still dangerous,” Selma spoke hesitantly.

“You won’t be in any danger, not with me around, plus you’re a lady so no one is gonna want to lay a hand on you, and if you know how to use a gun then you’ll be just fine,” Faceless replied.

Selma felt a little better knowing Faceless promised to make sure she would be safe and she smiled a little, “Well, I know how to use a shot gun, I’ve got one in here, would that work?” She asked.

Faceless’s expression brightened when he heard that and his smiled widened, “That’s perfect! No one is gonna mess with you!” Faceless replied.

Selma was starting to consider his offer but she still needed to lay a few ground rules with him,” Okay, I’ll do it, but only under a few conditions, got it?” She spoke sternly.

“Sure, what are they?” He asked.

“One, don’t say my name, if anyone knew I was doing this, it'd be the end of my career and life!” Selma spoke.

“Sure, I’ll just call you, lady,” Faceless replied, “So are you just gonna wear a disguise?” He asked,

“That’s the plan,” Selma answered.

“Great, then let’s go.” He replied, getting up from his chair.

“Not so fast! One more rule,” Selma spoke sternly.

Faceless froze but still listened to her.

“I’m not gonna hurt anyone and I ask that you don’t hurt anyone on this outing, just this once,” Selma spoke, pleading to him in the end.

Faceless sighed in annoyance but eventually gave in, “Fine, I don’t really do that but for you, I’ll make an exception,” He replied.

Selma smiled and felt her cheeks heat up a little, it felt nice to feel special like this, she turned around and went to her room and changed her outfit so she would be harder to recognize, she put on a poncho and a hat and wrapped a bandana around her lower face. She grabbed her shotgun and followed Faceless out the door, she quickened her pace so she was right by his side.

“So, what’s our first stop?” Selma asked.

Faceless looked at her and smiled,” Where does every bandit go to get cash?” He asked.

Selma paused and thought for a moment, “The bank?” She answered.

“You got it, that’s our first stop, follow me” Faceless replied.

Selma followed the bandit and they were silent for a while, Selma paused and thought, she stared at him and was confused by how he walked so confidently and sure despite being blind, she was hesitant to answer but eventually spoke up.

“So, sorry if this question is a little mean, but how do you get around so well? Despite, well, you know,” Selma awkwardly asked.

Faceless was silent for a minute and debated answering her, he would usually growl and snap at anyone who asked but he didn’t feel the same anger when it came to her and he thought for a moment, he eventually bit the bullet and replied.

“Well, if I had to say, I guess it’s just years of experience, however I’m still a little rusty in some places, “He answered.

Selma was surprised by him answering but smiled, considering it to be another step in deepening their bond, which reminded her, what were they? Friends didn’t seem to match since the name felt awkward plus normal friendships didn’t have this much tension, she pushed those thoughts aside and just decided to enjoy the small victory for now.

“Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, why is the Sheriff so lenient with you? He seems to hate everyone so why does he have a soft spot for you?” He asked.

Selma frowned a little and she awkwardly rubbed her shoulder, Faceless sensed her hesitance and felt a little guilty.

“You don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable with it,” Faceless spoke.

Selma quickly replied, “Oh no, don’t worry about it, he’s just nicer to me because we used to have a close relationship,” Selma answered.

Faceless was confused by the term ‘close relationship’ but decided not to push any further and he left it at that, they eventually arrived at the bank and Faceless guided her to the back of the bank.

“This is where the fun begins,” Faceless said with a smirk.

Selma tested the door knobs but noticed the door was locked.

“It’s locked,” Selma replied.

“Not with that attitude!” Faceless smiled.

He gripped his scythe and swung it down on to the door making a large hole in it, he reached his hand through the hole and unlocked the door and opened it, he held it open for Selma and smiled.

“Ladies first,” He grinned.

Selma smiled at him and walked through, Faceless followed behind her and closed the door, he grabbed her shoulder and gave her a last minute talk.

“Okay, this is your first time, and probably only time, robbing a bank so a few heads up,” Faceless spoke to her.

Selma listened to him as closely as possible and gripped her shotgun harder and she looked nervous.

“One, you can play two roles, big and tough, or silent, I suggest silent for you,” Faceless explained.

Selma nodded her head, “Got it,”

“Secondly, it’s rare but sometimes someone gets a little too brave and decides to try to fight you, if that happens, don’t panic, I’ll take care of it,” He continued.

Selma gripped her gun tighter and let out a shaky breath, Faceless sensed her anxiety and tried to comfort her.

“Hey, don’t worry, just follow my lead and you’ll do fine,” Faceless reassured the woman.

Selma smiled him and let out a deep breath, they prepared to enter the main room and Selma prepared herself for the chaos that would transpire. Faceless, meanwhile, was getting ready to scare everyone in the room and go straight for the banker, he quickly kicked open the door and everyone in the bank froze when they saw the two.

“Everyone freeze! This is a bank robbery!” Faceless shouted.

Suddenly all hell broke loose and everyone ran around screaming like chickens without heads, Faceless turned to Selma and pointed to her shot gun.

“Fire it at the roof, that’ll get them to shut up,” Faceless whispered.

Selma pointed the gun up and fired it, it let out a loud and sudden bang and everyone in the bank froze and went silent and stared at the two robbers.

“I’ll go through this again, freeze and stay quiet and no one gets hurt!” Faceless barked.

Everyone went quiet and still, when Faceless was satisfied with their obedience, he walked towards the banker who was shivering in fear and stared at the bandit with pure fear in his eyes.

“Safe. Now,” Faceless spoke.

Banker nodded and quickly ran to the safe and Faceless and Selma followed, Banker quickly turned the knob on the safe and it clicked and the door slowly opened, the shivering man quickly backed away from the bandit and gave him enough room to grab the money bags and leave. Faceless grabbed some of the cash bags and handed them to Selma, she took them into her arms and felt guilty and unclean but remained silent. They both froze when they heard the door open and several deputies rushed in with their guns out, Selma felt her fear grow and nervously looked to Faceless.

“Now what?” She whispered.

“Just relax, they won’t hurt you, they’ll only focus on me,” Faceless whispered back to her.

The deputies aimed their guns at the two.

“Freeze! Drop your weapons!” The deputy shouted.

Faceless looked to Selma and smiled, “Want to see something cool?” He whispered.

“What?” Selma asked, confused by his words.

“Do you want to see something cool?” He repeated.

Before Selma could answer, Faceless reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a smoke bomb, he threw it to the ground and smoke exploded from it and covered the room, before Selma could get her bearings she felt a hand grab hers and pull her along, Faceless ran to the door and pushed it open and Selma followed the outlaw, she coughed from the smoke and sighed in relief when she tasted fresh air again when leaving the building. The deputies quickly emerged from the building and chased after them, she and Faceless continued running until she spotted an unattended stagecoach, she gripped Faceless’s hand and pulled him towards. They quickly climbed on to it and Selma grabbed the reigns and whipped them on the horses and they ran from the cops as quickly as possible.

Once they were a good distance away and they couldn’t hear the deputies shouting, they both sighed in relief and leaned back and caught their breath.

“Smoke bombs? Since when did you have smoke bombs?” Selma asked with a smile on her face.

“I came up with them a while ago, I thought it would make for a great entrance and also a quick escape plan,” Faceless replied, enjoying her happiness and amusement.

“Do that, it would add a level of mystery to you,” Selma said with an amused smile.

Faceless smiled and chuckled, eventually they arrived at Selma’s house and Faceless dismounted first.

“So, now what? Do we just go our separate ways?” Selma asked.

“Sure, I’ll take the stagecoach and just leave it for some random townsfolk to find,” Faceless replied.

He walked to her side and offered her a hand.

“Ma’am,” He jokingly said.

Selma laughed at his attitude, she took his hand and stepped down from the wagon, Selma walked on to the porch and took of her hat and bandana.

“Well, that was jarring, not my cup of tea,” Selma spoke.

“Come on, it was kind of fun,” Faceless replied.

Selma chuckled, “No, not really. You really do that everyday?” Selma asked.

“Yep, what can I say? I love danger,” Faceless replied.

Selma smiled and rolled her eyes, Faceless then reached into one of the money bags and held out a couple of bandit bucks to her.

“Here, for helping me,” He offered.

Selma was surprised but refused the offer, “No thanks, keep it, if someone saw me with that much money out of the blue, they might get a little suspicious,” She replied.

Faceless shrugged and put the bandit bucks into the bag and threw it over his shoulder, “Suit yourself, Selma,” He spoke.

As he walked off, Selma suddenly remembered something and called out to Faceless, “Hey wait!”

Faceless turned around and looked at her and waited for her to speak.

“There’s gonna be a small festival and town dance, you should come,” Selma suggested.

“Eh, I don’t think it’d be a good idea for me to be there, the townspeople may not like it that much,” Faceless replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Selma apologized.

Faceless felt a little guilty when he heard her sad tone and he thought for a minute of something to try and cheer her up.

“How about this, the town festival will be at the saloon, so just meet me behind there,” He suggested.

Selma’s face lit up and she smiled widely and nodded her head.

“Sure!” She beamed.

“Great, then it’s a date,” Faceless replied.

He turned around and got back into the stagecoach and left, Selma walked back into her house with a warm feeling in her chest, meanwhile Faceless was panicking because of what he said, he had his head in his hands.

“Oh my god, why did I say date?” He groaned.

His face was flushed and he felt like he was burning up and he felt embarrassed, he sighed and tried to gather himself.

“It’s okay, maybe she didn’t notice,” He reassured himself.

He thought about the town festival and the idea of spending it with Selma was quite nice, he just hopped she wouldn’t ask for a dance since he was quite bad at it and didn’t want to embarrass himself, he groaned and prayed that it would go well, the only thing he could do now was wait for tomorrow night.


	6. Town Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight is the night of the town festival! A time of drinking and partying, and questioning if you should go out with the most wanted man in town, at least, that is if you're Selma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small warning, at one point in the chapter the Sheriff harasses Selma and makes some sexual comments so if that stuff makes you uncomfortable then I suggest you skip the part where the sheriff shows up.

Selma looked through her closet for anything she could wear for the town festival, she grimaced when she saw her old saloon gown and had to try to not think of bad memories, she grabbed it and buried it in the back of the closet so it was out of sight. Selma managed to find a dress she liked, it was long and was a deep blue, she smiled and laid it on her bed so she could quickly grab it when she needed to change for the festival.

Selma walked out of her home and made the long trek to town, when she entered the town she spotted Showdown who smiled at her and waved her down, she smiled at walked up to him.

“Hey Showdown, how have you been?” Selma asked.

“Pretty good, but did you hear about the news yesterday?” Showdown replied.

Selma was a little confused but had a feeling she knew what he was referring to but decided to play along.

“Nope, you know me, I live in the middle of nowhere, so I don’t hear much about the news,” Selma said, “What happened?” She asked.

Showdown’s eyes lit up, “It was crazy! There was a bank robbery yesterday!” He answered excitedly.

“But why’s that so special? Bank robberies happen nearly every other day,” Selma replied, still playing dumb.

“This bank robbery was done by the Faceless Bandit, and a new bandit!” Showdown answered.

Selma looked surprised but she knew exactly what he was talking about but still continued to play dumb.

“Oh? Who was it?” Selma asked.

“No one knows, but some are saying the two may be the Bonnie and Clyde couple,” Showdown replied.

Selma froze and somehow choked on her own breath, she struggled to find words and her cheeks were blazing red.

“Um, don’t they think that’s a little absurd?,” Selma spoke, trying to keep it together but she could feel her cheeks heating up to an impossibly high temperature, ”I mean, this is Faceless we’re talking about, that man loves no one,” Selma reasoned, she felt a little guilty describing Faceless like that but she reminded herself it was for the sake of making sure no one suspected a thing about her.

“Who knows, but it sure is something, right?” Showdown replied.

“Yeah, it sure is,” Selma mumbled.

“So, you heading to the festival tonight?” Showdown asked.

That took her mind off those troubling things and she smiled a little more.

“Oh, yeah, what about you?” She replied.

“I may pop in for a bit but not for long, not with the Sheriff around,” He answered.

Selma internally grimaced a little when she heard the word Sheriff, he was probably the only thing she didn’t like about the town festivals, he would always ask for a dance and offer her drinks and wrap his arm around her, she didn’t like his presence or his touch but she had to play nice and just politely refuse.

Showdown could sense Selma’s discomfort at the mention of her ex, and he tried to cheer her up, “Hey, I could distract him to make him leave you alone,” Showdown offered her.

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it, I can handle him, don’t trouble yourself,” Selma replied.

Showdown frowned but accepted her refusal, he tried to lighten the mood a little.

“So, tonight, would you like to dance?” Showdown asked, “Only as friends of course,” He clarified.

Selma giggled, “Sure, if we manage to find each other in the crowd and if you manage to avoid the sheriff,” Selma jokingly replied.

“That’ll be a piece of cake, that no good cop couldn’t catch me if I was tied up and given to him on a silver platter,” Showdown boasted.

Selma laughed at her friend’s confident attitude and it helped take her mind off the sheriff, however she was still nervous about the thought of seeing him and she was worried how her evening with Faceless would go, she feared that the Sheriff might appear and see them dancing and then that would lead to a downward spiral for her life. She shoved those paranoid fantasies down and smiled at Showdown, pretending that everything was fine.

“Yep, you always get away in the end,” She replied.

“Of course I do, I’m the best bandit in town,” He smiled with a wink.

Selma let out a small chuckle, Showdown always made her laugh, he just had such a happy demeanor and it was contagious.

“Well, I’d best get going, I need to get some chores down before the festival tonight, see you at the party Showdown.” She spoke while walking off, she turned around and waved at the outlaw.

Showdown smiled and waved back, “See ya tonight, Selma!”

Selma visited the wood carver of the town and got her supplies and payed him, she ran into Carver and both waved at each other, Carver wasn’t very social or much of a talker but Selma didn’t mind, he was kind and taught her everything she knew today and she was very thankful for his help.

After her very short conversation with Carver, she stopped at Penny’s store to get some food and the curly haired girl smiled when she saw her.

“Oh, hi Selma!” Penny beamed.

“Hey Penny,” Selma greeted the happy girl.

“So, are you heading to tonight’s festival?” Penny asked, she leaned over the counter so she would be closer to her friend.

“Yep, I always do, what about you?” Selma asked.

“Oh, I’m definitely going!” Penny answered, “And I’ve got a date with you know who?” Penny said with a blush on her cheeks as she curled her finger around one of her red locks.

“Oh, you convinced Undertaker to go again?” Selma replied, immediately knowing who this date of Penny’s was.

“Yep, she always says this is the last time she’s going and yet the next year she agrees again!” Penny beamed.

Selma smiled at her friend, Penny and the Undertaker were an odd couple, but they seemed to really love each other so Selma wasn’t going to question it, she was just happy her friend found someone and was in such a happy relationship. Her happiness stopped however when Penny brought up a question that she really didn’t want to answer at the moment.

“So,” Penny spoke with a mischievous smile as she rested her head on her hands,” Did you find anyone to take the festival?” She asked.

Selma immediately thought of Faceless, but she didn’t dare tell Penny that, if she did she would freak out and call her crazy and either tell Showdown or the Sheriff, and neither was a desirable outcome.

She faked a small sad smile and spoke, “No, unfortunately I’ll just be by myself,”

Penny pouted a little at that, “Aw, that’s a shame, I thought someone would nab ya by now, you’re really pretty and nice, you’re like the perfect catch!” Penny replied.

Selma shrugged, “I don’t know, I just guess no one’s interested,”

“But you’re great! You’re nice and smart and pretty and you aren’t mean in the slightest!” Penny yelled, throwing her hands in the air as if to exaggerate how crazy the situation was.

Selma smiled at her friend, “Well, I guess when you’re the ex of the Sheriff it can make people be afraid of you,” Selma guessed.

Penny pouted and rested her head on one hand while the other one rested on her hip, “I guess,” Penny looked like a grumpy child then she thought for a moment, “Hey, if it’s not too much to ask, why did you two break up?” She asked.

Selma was caught off guard and was reminded of old, sour memories that she would rather forget and she forced them down and out of her mind as she forced a smile.

“Oh, I don’t know, I guess we just kind of drifted apart, I became a different person when I became a doctor and it just wasn’t the person he fell in love with, “Selma answered, she wasn’t exactly lying about the doctor bit, when she pursued a career in medicine that’s when their relationship went downhill.

“Hm, that’s sad to hear, but who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone special at the dance?” Penny guessed with a childlike smile.

“Maybe, who knows?” Selma replied with a shrug, she grabbed her things and turned around to the exit, “Welp, I’m off, I’ll see you and Undertaker at the dance!” Selma called out before leaving.

“Bye Selma! See you at the dance!” Penny replied while waving goodbye.

Selma walked back home and by the time she arrived, it was getting dark which meant the festival would happen soon, she set down her supplies on her desk and began to organize and arrange them in their designated spot, when she was finished she walked into her arm and changed into the dress she had set on her bed.

When she was done she walked out the door and headed out to town and tried to calm herself down about her upcoming ‘date’ with Faceless, she was having trouble labeling their relationship, they were a little too close to be just acquaintances anymore and friends didn’t invite each other to dances and spend the time in between with thoughts of potential romance, but they definitely weren’t boyfriend or girlfriend, Selma shivered at the thought of that word, she didn’t want to touch it with a ten foot pole. She rubbed her arms up and down and sighed and continued onward to town, she would just have to pretend everything was fine and make sure to avoid the Sheriff like the plague.

When she arrived at the town she plastered on a fake smile and walked into town, there were poles tied with strings that connected to every roof in town and bright colorful lanterns adorned the string, it provided a warm and comforting glow to the town. Selma headed to the saloon which was where the party was held, people lingered outside and talked and drank and people waved at her as she entered the building, when she walked inside she maneuvered through the crowd of people and eventually made it to a table where Undertaker, Penny, and Showdown all sat. She smiled when she saw them and waved at them, they saw her and smiled at her and waved for her to come over, she walked to the table and sat down.

“Selma, you made it!” Showdown smiled.

“I always do,” She replied.

Penny smiled mischievously at Selma,” So Showdown here told us you promised him a dance, is that true?” She asked with a smirk.

Showdown blushed and immediately rushed in to clear things up, “Not that kind of dance! And Selma didn’t promise! I just asked her and she said sure!” Showdown exclaimed with bright red blush covering his cheeks.

Penny giggled, “I know, I’m just messing with you two,” Penny replied.

Selma rolled her eyes and looked at Undertaker who looked neutral as always.

“What about you, Undertaker? You and Penny gonna dance?” Selma asked.

“We always do, even if I don’t like dancing,” She replied.

“You do it cause ya love me,” Penny countered with a sweet smile.

Undertaker smiled and rolled her eyes and looked at Penny lovingly as she placed a hand on her shoulder, “Unfortunately, I do,” Undertaker joked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Penny asked playfully.

Selma and Showdown laughed as the two playfully fought.

“So, you wanna dance now?” Showdown asked.

“Sure, only for a bit though,” She replied.

They got up and headed to the dance floor which had been cleared of tables and chairs, they struggled to find room in the large crowd, Showdown danced like a silly kid which made Selma laugh, after a while she went to the bar to get a drink. As the bar keeper went to get her drink, Selma heard a familiar voice that made her freeze.

“Selma, is that you?” The sheriff asked.

Selma forced a smile and turned around to face him.

“Hey Sheriff, good to see you,” Selma greeted him.

The sheriff smiled when he saw her face and sat next to her, Selma tried to scoot as far away from him as possible without appearing suspicious.

“Hey, now that we’re both at the saloon, want me to buy you that drink?” Sheriff asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that for me,” Selma objected politely.

“Selma, it’s fine, just let me pay for this one drink,” Sheriff replied.

Selma knew she couldn’t change his mind, so she bit her tongue and just let him pay for the drink, he handed the bar keeper some bandit bucks and passed the drink over to Selma. She took it and have him a fake smile, she sipped on her drink as she prayed for something to take the cop away from her. Her fingers curled into fists when he placed his hand on her lower back and she had to fight to keep her smile, he rubbed the area a bit as he leaned in closer to her.

“So, do you care for a dance?” He asked in a suggestive tone.

Selma wanted to puke at that moment but swallowed it all back down when she took another swig of her drink, she wanted to curl up and die, his touch was bringing up old, undesirable memories and she forced them back into the deep corners of her mind.

“Maybe, let me finish my drink first,” Selma answered.

Sheriff mumbled a short okay and he looked ahead to the wall; Selma hopped that meant he was losing interest, but he came right back at her.

“You look nice,” He said.

“Oh, thanks, so do you,” Selma replied.

She internally facepalmed when she said that, he hadn’t changed his outfit, the sheriff didn’t seem to notice or care about her reply though, he leaned in a little closer and his hand drifted further up her back and she wanted to cry at that moment.

“To be honest though, I was kind of hoping you’d wear one of your old outfits, you always looked so pretty in them,” He whispered.

Selma wanted to vomit, her throat felt dry and constricted and her stomach was in knots, the old outfits he was referring to were her saloon outfits from when she worked at the bar, she hated them, they were uncomfortable and far too revealing for her taste.

“Well, it might be a bad idea to wear them here, I might get mistaken for an employee,” She joked, she bit her tongue to prevent herself from snapping at him.

The sheriff chuckled at her joke, “Well then, maybe you can come to my office in it,” He purred.

While Selma was trying not to sob and punch the sheriff, Showdown was dancing but turned to the bar and saw the sheriff sitting with Selma, he could sense Selma’s discomfort and he quickly shouted to grab the sheriff’s attention.

“Hey Sheriff!” He called out.

The sheriff quickly turned around when he heard the familiar voice.

“Care for a dance?” Showdown jokingly asked.

The sheriff growled and ran at Showdown, the bandit ran for the door and the cop quickly followed, Selma smiled and sighed in relief when the sheriff left, she made a mental note to thank Showdown the next time she saw him.

She then remembered the main reason she was at the festival, she ordered another drink and got up to head to the exit but not before saying goodbye to Penny and Undertaker, Selma walked outside and made sure no one was looking when she walked to the back of the saloon. She checked and saw that the area was vacant, she jumped a little when she heard a familiar voice.

She saw Faceless sitting on the back porch of the saloon, he was only illuminated by the very few lanterns that were set up in the back, if she didn’t know him so well, she would’ve been frightened.

“Who is it?” Faceless questioned, he held his scythe tightly in case it was a foe.

“It’s me, Selma,” she replied.

Faceless relaxed when he heard her voice and he set down his scythe, he smiled at her direction and Selma smiled back at him, she walked to him and sat down next to him.

“Here, I didn’t really know what to get you, so I just got you some whiskey.” She said as she handed him a bottle.

Faceless smiled and took it from her hand and opened it, they sat in silence for a while, but it wasn’t like an awkward silence, more like they were just content with each other’s presence.

“So, what’s it like in there?” Faceless asked while pointing his thumb at the building.

“Oh, in there? It’s fine, just a little crowded is all,” Selma answered.

Faceless chuckled, “Man, I remember a time when it was just like ten people in there,” He said with a sense of nostalgia in his voice.

“Wait, there was a time when the show’s cast was that small? How old are you?” She asked.

Faceless panicked a little when she asked that, “Don’t you know it’s rude to ask someone’s age?” He jokingly replied.

“That only applies to women,” She playfully retorted.

They laughed a little and went back into silence, Selma looked at Faceless and she twiddled her thumbs when she spoke hesitantly.

“So, how long have you been on the show?” Selma asked.

Faceless looked forward, fully in his thoughts, Selma had a vague idea on what it was about.

“A while, I remember when the stage was small and everything was tiny and simple,” He answered in a hushed tone.

He sounded foreign to her right now, she had never heard him talk so softly or with such emotion, it was kind of strange to hear.

Selma looked to the ground and her hands and she side eyed him as she managed to ask another question.

“So,” She started, “Was there a time you could see?” She nervously asked.

Faceless was silent for a long time and Selma feared she may have crossed the line and was worried he would leave and never talk to her again.

He broke the silence with one word, “Once,”

He didn’t sound inherently sad but there was undeniable sorrow in the meaning of that one word, she felt sorry for him, she closed her mouth and didn’t dare ask another question. She looked at him and noticed his hand laid on the deck, she hesitantly reached for it and she rested her hand on his, he didn’t move it, but she was sure he liked the touch.

Suddenly the music in the saloon changed from happy and upbeat to a slower rhythm, it was time for slow dancing, Faceless blushed and felt his heart rate skyrocket, this was the one thing he was trying to avoid and yet it seemed the world was out to get him.

“Oh cool, slow dance has started!” Selma smiled.

Faceless knew what she would say next, but he hoped and prayed with all his might that they would just continue to sit.

“Hey Faceless,” Selma spoke.

Faceless nervously looked at her, she smiled sweetly at him.

“Do you wanna dance?” Selma asked.

Faceless felt like he could pass out right at that moment, he stuttered to find an answer and Selma tightened her grip on his hand to comfort him. He calmed down a little and looked at her.

“I can’t really dance.” Faceless replied while pointing at his lack of eyes.

“Come on, you’ll do fine.” She reassured him as she pulled him up from his seat.

“No, really, I’m awful at it, I don’t know what to do,” He continued.

“Faceless, it’s okay, I’ll show you the steps, you’ll be fine,” Selma replied.

“But I’ll look like an idiot,” He mumbled.

Selma smiled and held both of his hands, “Faceless, I’m sure you’re not that bad, Showdown dances like a clumsy, little kid but he doesn’t care,” Selma comforted the scarred bandit.

Faceless was hesitant but eventually agreed, Selma held his hands and guided him through the steps, he was hesitant and a little clumsy and sometimes bumped into her and stepped on her feet which allows followed with a flurry of apologies.

“Don’t worry, you’re doing just fine,” Selma reassured him.

He gradually got better, and Selma guided his hands to her back as she put hers on his shoulders, Faceless felt his entire body heat up and his cheeks were blazing red, Selma looked calmer than him but was also blushing.

They danced slowly and were illuminated by the few and distant lights of the lanterns, they soon got more comfortable and smiled at each other, Selma eventually rested her head on his chest and Faceless was surprised but felt his heart sing and he couldn’t understand why but he didn’t want to question it, he felt like an idiot for not wanting to dance earlier, this gave him the best feeling in the world and he hoped it didn’t stop anytime soon.

As the song got further to its ending, they stopped and looked at each other, they felt a kind of foreign happiness and everything around them seemed to fade and they could only sense each other, Selma stood on her tiptoes and their faces were inches from touching, they had no control of themselves at that moment and simply wanted and needed to hold each other, their mouthes were seconds away from touching until shouting at the front of the saloon pulled them out of their trance.

Faceless looked startled and panicked while Selma was simply surprised, they listened and it sounded like Showdown and the sheriff were fighting, they could hear shouting, laughter, and gunshots. They were hesitant to leave each other’s touch but eventually parted, if Showdown and the Sheriff kept fighting, it might make a crowd and there would be a chance that someone in the crowd could spot them and then chaos would ensue.

Faceless frowned and walked over to grab his scythe, “I should get going,”

Selma wanted to argue but knew he was right and begrudgingly agreed.

She smiled sadly and looked at him, “It was nice to see you, and dance with you,” she spoke.

Faceless was silent for a moment, “Thanks, by the way, for all of this, you’re the only one in this town to treat me like I’m a person,” he replied.

“No problem, and thank you, for the fun times,” she smiled.

He turned around and walked off into the desert but Selma called out to him, he turned around and a part of him hoped she would ask for one more dance or for him to just stay a little longer but he knew that wasn’t why she called to him.

She twiddled her thumbs and looked at the ground,” We should hang out again, some other time, if you want,” Selma suggested to him.

Faceless gave her a tiny smile,” I’d love to do that,” He replied, “Maybe we could rob another bank,” He joked.

Selma laughed, “No, next time, let’s do something legal,” she replied.

“Suit yourself then, see you next time, Selma,” Faceless spoke, waving goodbye to her as he walked into the desert.

Selma waved goodbye and walked back home, when she entered, she took off her shoes and plopped on to her bed, she was exhausted and felt so confused, now she had no idea what to call her relationship with Faceless because friends sure as hell don’t almost kiss. She sighed and raked her fingers through her hair, she couldn’t believe she was actually considering being in a relationship with an outlaw. She laid down and sighed and drifted off to sleep with the thoughts of that magical dance she had with him, maybe being with Faceless wouldn’t be so bad.


	7. Extortion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new bandit arrives to town and makes deal with Selma, however the new outlaw soon learns why you shouldn't mess with the kind doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has murder in it so if that isn't your thing then don't read it, it appears at the end so just a heads up

Selma laid in bed feeling miserable, not because she was sick but because she had trouble falling asleep all night because her mind was running rampant with thought of the Faceless Bandit, she had debated against herself all night on both the pros and cons of dating the outlaw and it was clear which side outweighed the other. But no matter how much she proved how idiotic and dangerous it would be to date the bandit, her heart still yearned for his touch and presence, she groaned and shoved her face into her pillow, she felt like a lovesick teenager again which was the worst in her opinion.

Sunlight peaked through her blinds and she sighed, she would have to get up soon but she felt so exhausted and would rather be dead or sleeping than work all day with a brain that wouldn’t shut up about her date last night. She paused, date felt like a weird word to apply to her evening last night, it meant that her experience last night was romantic, which she couldn’t deny it was, but still, putting the word with the Faceless Bandit was insane and kind of comedic because of how ludicrous it was.

Selma pulled her face out of her pillow and groaned and eventually got the willpower to pull herself out of bed and get dressed, she got herself ready and presentable and headed to her workplace and flipped the sign on her door and unlocked the entrance so people could enter if they needed her services. She didn’t get a lot of customers because of how far the trip from town to her home was but she always got at least one customer because Showdown Valley was filled with action and danger and at least one person was always getting hurt somewhere.

Selma sighed, it was kind of lonely where she lived but at least she was far away from all the bank robberies and gun fights, she sat at her desk and rested her head in her hands and considered drifting off several times but she knew she couldn’t let a potential customer see her sleeping on the job, that would give her a bad name. She leaned back in her chair and read some old medical textbooks to pass the time, anytime the thought of Faceless and her dancing came into her mind she would focus on shoving it out by putting all her attention on a certain long and boring section of her book. She was praying for someone to enter so that this silence would end and her mind would be taken off of Faceless, she nearly fell out of her chair from shock and excitement when she heard a knocking on the door, she got out of the chair and brushed herself off and put on her customer service face.

“It’s unlocked, come in!” She called out with a chipper voice.

The door opened slowly and a man with a poncho and a cowboy hat entered the building, his outfit was dark and he was kind of intimidating, she didn’t recognize him so he must’ve been a new character. He looked at her and she noticed the large number of scars on his face, either he had been through the ringer or it was a part of his design, his face showed no emotion but he looked stern.

“Are you Selma, the doctor?” He asked.

Selma noticed his voice was quite deep and gravelly, but she ignored that quality of his and continued to smile.

“Yes, I am! Do you need medical attention?” She replied.

He suddenly smirked and Selma felt a feeling of dread in her stomach, she had an aching feeling that something bad was about to happen, but she maintained her happy expression. He slowly walked to her and as he approached her, all she could hear was her wooden heartbeat and the click of his spurs on the wooden floor.

“I’ve heard that you’re one hell of a doctor,” He spoke.

Selma was sweating and she nervously twiddled her thumbs, “Uh, thank you, I don’t like to brag but I would consider myself to be a pretty good doctor,” She replied.

“I’ve also heard that you help anyone in need, even bandits.” He continued, he started circling her like a predator, “like me,” He added.

Selma felt her stomach dropped and she kept her eye on him as he circled her,” Uh, yes, I do. I think everyone deserves to be helped,” She replied.

His smile grew and he stopped in front of her and stared her down, Selma felt tiny under his gaze.

“That’s why I have a proposition for you,” He said.

Selma felt sick from anxiety but she tried to keep it together, panicking never helped when dealing with a bandit, “Oh? What is it?” She asked.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, “You see, I obviously have a lot of enemies because of my career choice,” He explained, putting an emphasis on the words career choice, ”Now I’m thinking, with your help, I don’t have to worry about any injuries caused by some annoying deputy,” He spoke.

“Uh, that just sounds like my normal job?” She replied, confused.

“Ah! Let me finish.” He interrupted her as he held a finger up to silence her,” You see, not only do I need a doctor, I also need some money, and you can also help with that,” He smirked.

Selma’s eyes widened and her happy expression soon turned to one of fear, “What do you mean? How can I help with money?” She asked, though she already had a good idea of what he meant by his money problem.

He removed his arm from her shoulder and stood tall in front of her and pointed at her, “You pay for my protection,” He answered.

Selma froze and she felt terrified by his response, she dreaded saying this but eventually croaked it out, “And if I don’t?” She asked.

His smirk turned more sinister as he closed the distance between their faces, “Then bad things are gonna start happening to you, “He whispered.

Selma gulped and nodded in response, he smiled at her and backed up a bit so there was more space between them.

“Good then, I’ll see you soon, my debut episode starts soon,” He spoke.

Selma spoke hesitantly, “Wait, who are you? You’re clearly a new character, I’ve never seen you before,”

He smirked and tipped his hat, “You can call me Black Eyed Jack,” He replied.

At least she had a name now, his title did fit him, he had this weird black coloring around his eyes that made it look like he didn’t sleep and that someone punched him square in both his eyes.

He turned around and walked to the door and opened it but stopped right before exiting and he looked at her.

“Oh, and one more thing, it’d be best if you don’t tell anyone about this, got it?” He said.

Selma shakily nodded and was silently begging for him to leave.

“Also, no more helping other bandits, I don’t want you assisting my competition,” He continued.

That hit Selma the hardest, she couldn’t turn away Showdown or Faceless but then again, he was clearly threatening her and she did like the idea of staying in the land of the living.

“Got it,” She answered quietly.

He smirked and left, closing the door behind him with a loud bang. Selma was left with a lot to think about and now she was more stressed and panicked than before, she fell into her chair and sobbed and tried to think of what to do but at the moment, she was stuck in her situation. She let out quiet sobs and prayed that some lifesaving miracle would come out of nowhere to get her out of this situation but she knew she was doomed. At least Faceless was going to visit her on the weekend, maybe he could help her, but she also didn’t want to trouble him and she was worried he would get hurt if he tried to find the bandit. She leaned back in her chair and just hoped that this week would go be quickly and that Jack wouldn’t be a recurring character.

The week went by slowly and Selma soon heard stories of the troublesome and evil Black Eyed Jack, Showdown would vent to her about him and how difficult he was to catch, Selma still helped bandits but made sure to keep it on the down low so that word wouldn’t get to Jack. The new bandit didn’t seem to notice her helping the bandits but he did occasionally visit for protection money and he didn’t hesitant to ask for big bucks when it came to that. Selma was financially stable but he was starting to have a negative effect on her funds and at that point the weekend couldn’t come faster.

Selma was so thankful when the weekend finally came and she eagerly waited for the evening to come, she was really considering asking Faceless for help but to be honest she was just excited to see him again, he made her happy and helped her forget about her troubles. When she heard a knock on the door she rushed to open it but her smile quickly faded it when she saw who it was, Jack walked through the door and Selma felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach and she would do anything to make this whole agreement end.

“Uh, can I help you with something?” She nervously asked.

“It’s time to pay up,” Jack replied.

Selma frowned, “Please, I can’t keep doing this, I can’t afford this,” Selma pleaded with the bandit.

Jack smirked and walked up to her and put his hand to his gun holster, “That’s really not my problem, Selma,” He replied.

Selma got the message and sighed, she walked to the safe in her room where she kept all her funds and savings, she grabbed a handful of bandit bucks and handed it to the outlaw, they walked back to her office and Selma felt so empty and was praying for some kind of intervention.

“Thanks again, Selma. I’ll see you next week for payment,” Jack replied.

He smirked at her and Selma glared back at him, she wanted to do nothing more than punch him square in the face and wipe that obnoxious smile off of his face but she knew that would end badly for her.

Before Jack could exit, they heard a knock on the front door and they both went silent, Selma felt some hope in her body, believing that her prays were finally answered and someone was here to save her from this awful bandit.

“Selma, are you in there?” Faceless called out.

Selma’s smile widened while Jack frowned and growled, he turned to glare at Selma and her smile faded into an expression of fear.

“I thought I told you not to help any other bandits,” He growled.

“This is the first time he’s visited since our deal; I didn’t have time to tell him,” Selma whispered.

Faceless got suspicious when he heard two voices whispering behind the door so he decided to enter without waiting for Selma to open the door. Jack and Selma froze when they saw the scarred bandit, Jack was the first to react by pulling out his gun and pointing it at the other outlaw.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Jack growled.

Faceless looked shocked but then he furrowed his brows and growled, he gripped his scythe tightly and glared at Jack, “You’re pretty stupid to come here,”

“If you two are gonna fight, can you please take it outside?” Selma asked nervously.

“Why is he here?” Faceless asked.

“Same question here!” Jack growled.

Selma struggled to come up with an explanation that didn’t put her in any danger, Faceless looked at her confused while Jack glared at her, Selma looked at Faceless and felt some comfort from his presence.

“So, Jack and I made a deal, I pay him and offer him medical service and he doesn’t kill me,” Selma hesitantly explained.

Faceless stared at her silently before shouting, “That’s not a deal! That’s extortion!”

“You back stabbing son of a bitch! Why did you tell him?!” Jack shouted at Selma.

He wheeled back his fist and punched Selma in the cheek, she fell to the floor and grabbed her cheek and yelled in pain, Jack glared at her and then turned to Faceless. The scarred bandit however didn’t look at him, he looked down at Selma with a shocked look, he felt something boiling inside the pit of his stomach, he felt angry but it was like nothing he’d felt before. The anger spread across his entire body until it swallowed him whole and his mind could only focus on one thing, he gripped his scythe tightly and the wooden staff creaked under the pressure. He growled and barred his fangs at Jack, the black-eyed bandit looked nervous and backed up from the clearly angry scarred bandit.

“You don’t touch her!” Faceless screamed.

He ran at the outlaw and Jack panicked and brought out his gun, Faceless brought up his scythe and was ready to attack, possibly kill. Selma watched the whole confrontation and was frozen in place, Jack looked terrified and fired at Faceless, the bullet landed in his shoulder but he didn’t seem to notice. Faceless threw his scythe down over and over again on the bandit until Jack’s head was barely recognizable and he was covered in scars and deep cuts, he fell to the floor with a thud.

Faceless lowered his scythe as he felt his anger slowly ebb away and now all he could think about was his concerns for Selma, he turned around and ran to her and he knelt down beside her, Selma looked at the body for a long time before looking at him.

“You killed him,” She said.

Faceless paused and didn’t know how to respond, he began to fear that she hated him and was disgusted by him.

“I don’t know what came over me, I’m so sorry,” He replied.

“No, it’s fine, I don’t think it could end any other way,” She spoke while staring at the dead body.

Selma walked up to the body and picked it up, Faceless followed after her and helped her move the body, they dumped it at Undertaker’s place and left without saying a word, it was silent the entire way and neither knew what to say. When they arrived at Selma’s home, they sat at her desk and were silent for a while.

“We’re gonna have to take this secret to our grave,” Selma whispered.

“Yep,” Faceless replied.

Selma sighed, “At least he’s gone now, I won’t have to pay him any more money,”

“I’m really sorry you had to see that,” Faceless frowned and looked at Selma apologetically.

“Don’t worry, you defended me and got me out of that hell,” Selma replied.

Faceless got back up and headed for the door,” Well, I think I’ve overstayed my welcome, see you later Selma,” Faceless spoke.

Selma looked at him and was about to say goodbye when she noticed the bullet hole in his shoulder, she quickly got out of her chair and stopped him before he could leave.

“Wait! There’s a bullet in your shoulder, you can’t leave, let me fix it,” Selma called out.

“But that’ll take you too long, practically the entire weekend,” Faceless replied.

“So? I have a spare room you can stay in while I fix the wound,” Selma shrugged.

Faceless was a little surprised but didn’t want to object, he felt happy a bit at the idea, spending the weekend with Selma instead of at his lonely hideout.

“You sure? I don’t want to be a bother,” He replied.

“Yeah, and if anyone shows up, you can just hide and wait a bit in the spare room,” Selma said.

He smiled at the idea of it and followed Selma to the spare room, he got settled and both bided each other good night as Faceless looked up at the ceiling and smiled, he never thought killing a guy would turn out so well for him.


	8. First Day Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today's the first day Faceless has spent with Selma over the weekend, they have some nice chats and at the end of the day, Faceless comes to a small conclusion.

Faceless woke up feeling groggy and his shoulder was aching, his mind felt like mush and he panicked at first when he didn’t recognize his surroundings as his base. He paused a little though when last night’s events slowly came back to him, he sighed in relief when he realized he was safe at Selma’s house however in grimaced in shame when he remembered that he killed a man in front of her. He couldn’t understand why she was so lax about having a killer in her house but he also wasn’t complaining, he got to sleep on a comfy bed unlike his hard, wooden bed at his hideout, he also got free medical treatment and the biggest pro was getting to stay at Selma’s place for a while, she was his favorite person in town, also the only person he liked too.

He turned his head when he heard footsteps approach his room, he heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice, “Hey Faceless, you up?” Selma asked.

“Yeah.” He replied as he got up a head to the sound of her voice which was where the door most likely was, he felt around a little on the wall until he felt his hand graze against something metallic and circular. He grabbed the door knob and opened it and he smiled at Selma; he didn’t know how but he just knew she was smiling back even though he couldn’t see her face.

“Good, come to my desk, I’ll take care of your shoulder,” She smiled.

She walked into the hallway and turned the corner to the main entrance of the house which was where her desk and medical equipment were, he hesitantly followed and felt along the wall to help guide him, Selma noticed his slow pace and approached him.

“Hey, uh, do you want some help?” She asked.

Faceless felt a little embarrassed at that question but also thankful for her offer but he never liked getting assistance with this kind of thing, it made him feel helpless, he liked to find his way on his own, it helped him feel a little bit more independent.

“No, I’m fine, just tell me if I’m getting close or not,” Faceless replied.

Selma gave him small directions as he walked along the wall and eventually made to the desk, Faceless propped himself up onto the table and waited for Selma to get her tools, he heard her rummage through her toolbox under the desk, she pulled out a screwdriver and walked around the desk to the side of his injured shoulder.

“Okay, I’m gonna need you to take off your coat if you want me to remove your shoulder,” Selma said.

Faceless paused a little, he felt strangely awkward and nervous to remove his coat, he hesitantly reached to grab it by the collar and pulled it down on one side to reveal his injured shoulder which had a bullet hole in it. He felt weirdly naked without his coat but he wasn’t going to argue with Selma, he trusted her enough to allow her to work on his body.

Selma smiled at his compliance but stared at his body confused, his vest, shirt, and bandana looked exactly like Showdown’s, the only difference was he had far more scars and his undershirt was red instead of the bright bluish purple that Showdown wore. Selma shrugged it up to the show’s cheap budget, the creators were often reusing old puppet models which resulted in a lot of characters looking scarily similar to each other. However, for some reason Faceless’s similarities with Showdown seemed too similar, it felt like this strange phenomenon was more than just cheap budgets.

Selma was creeped out by the possibilities and shook her head and focused back on her work, she unscrewed his shoulder leaving him with only one arm, he felt a little anxious without both arms but he trusted Selma enough to allow her to work without any interruptions or questions.

“Okay, since only your shoulder is damaged this shouldn’t take too long to replace however you won’t have an arm for a day or so,” Selma explained,” Are you gonna be okay for the time being?” She asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Faceless replied.

“Okay, good, well, I’ll get to work on this, you just hang out in the meantime,” Selma said.

Faceless stood around awkwardly, he didn’t really know what to do and there wasn’t much he could do, Selma noticed his awkwardness and decided to step in.

“Uh, right, uh, you could just sit by me and we could talk? Pass some stories?” Selma offered.

Faceless sighed nodded his head, Selma took a chair and pulled it up alongside her and offered him the seat. Faceless felt for the back of the seat and sat down. Selma took out some papers of his proportions and a chunk of wood and began to carve to form him a new shoulder.

“So, any backstory to your character?” Selma asked.

Faceless stiffened and lowered his head, “Nope, just a bad guy,” He replied.

Selma squinted at him but didn’t pry for more info, “Well, I was from a rich family, but I left when they tried to force me into an arranged marriage, I ran away and ended up here,” Selma said.

Faceless looked at her a little surprised, “You’re from a rich family?” He asked.

“Yep, haven’t seem them in years though, and I don’t plan on changing that,” Selma replied.

“No offense, but you don’t really give me the vibe of a rich person,” Faceless spoke.

Selma chipped away more wood from the block,” Yep, I had to work to get this job, I had to get my hands dirty and use outside sources, they really don’t like women having jobs, especially a doctor’s job,” Selma answered.

Faceless stared at her in awe,” You’re a tough woman, huh?” He asked.

“Yep, I had to be if I wanted to get this job and earn a doctorate, “Selma replied.

“If it’s not a sensitive topic, how did you become a doctor?” Faceless asked.

“Doc Carver helped me a lot, he taught me all he knew, he gave me medical textbooks, tools, you name it, he also vouched for me to the other doctors, he’s the reason I have this job,” Selma answered.

Faceless stared at her, her perseverance was quite impressive and it made her more alluring.

“What about you? How did you become one of the most threatening villains in Showdown Valley?” Selma asked.

Faceless paused a little and thought back to old memories he’d rather forget; he crossed his arms and clenched his fists.

“I fought for it, I had to adapt to a lot of things, in the end I earned that position because I overcame what others couldn’t,” Faceless replied coldly.

The room became colder and more suffocating, Selma stopped carving and looked at Faceless, he looked down at his hands and furrowed his brows. Selma hesitantly reached to hold his hand to help ground him, he jumped a little at her touch but calmed down when he figured out it was just Selma.

“You are quite independent despite your,” Selma paused, “circumstances.” She finished while awkwardly gesturing to his face.

Selma cringed at her comment and tried to think of a better compliment.

“It’s hard to believe you’re blind, you get around quite well to a startling degree,” Selma said.

Faceless smiled, “Thanks, I’ve been on this stage for so long I pretty much know the layout by heart,” he replied.

Selma looked at him and wondered how long he had been on the show, but she kept the question to herself since she had a feeling he wasn’t planning on sharing anytime soon. She continued carving into the wood block until she finished making the vague shape of a circle, it wasn’t smooth at all, it had jagged edges and resembled for a cube than a circle, but she would fix it as time went on and smooth it down.

“Alright, we’re half way there, well, more like one third but still, it’s progress,” Selma smiled.

She brushed off her apron and reached into her pocket and pulled out a small knife, she slowly carved the wood, she rubbed on the wood to smooth down and Faceless listened to all the noises, trying to envision what the process looked like.

“Hey, have you ever cut yourself on one of your tools?” Faceless asked.

“A few times, but never anything serious,” She replied, she looked at him and then noticed the stitch patterns strewn about the coat.

“What about you? How did you get all those stitches on your coat?” Selma asked.

“Oh, all these?” Faceless replied, putting a hand on one of his many stitches,” Yeah, I’ve had a few runs in with some bandits that had knives, I had to stitch the coat back together myself which was a nightmare,” He answered.

“Well, you actually did quite a good job at stitching, but next time just ask me, I have some expertise in sewing,” Selma replied.

Faceless smiled, “Oh, thanks, again. Wow, I owe you a lot of favors,”

“No you don’t, you don’t owe me anything, I’m just helping you because I genuinely want to help you,” Selma replied.

Faceless was surprised and blushed a little at her generosity, “Oh, um, thanks,” He smiled.

“I’m a little surprised though, I thought bandits worked together?” Selma said confused.

“Nope, everyone gets that wrong, if you’re in a gang then you work together, otherwise, it’s every bandit for themselves,” Faceless explained.

“Wow, sounds awful, no one to trust, constantly on the run, how did you live that kind of life?” Selma asked.

Faceless leaned back in his chair and shrugged, “Eh, I’m fine with it, it works just fine for me,” He replied.

Selma paused and thought for a minute, “What about me? Do you trust me?”

Faceless was caught off guard and almost fell out of his chair, he stared at her alarmed, “Uh, I mean, I guess, you’ve helped me a lot so I don’t really have a reason not to trust you,” He answered awkwardly.

Selma felt weirdly dissatisfied with his answer and frowned.

“What about you? Do you trust me? Even though I’m a bandit,” Faceless asked.

“I mean, yeah, you haven’t given me a reason not to,” Selma answered.

Faceless felt ashamed at his answer after that, he felt like it didn’t compare to hers, they sat in an awkward silence for a while as Faceless twiddled his thumbs and Selma worked on carving the wood.

“So, it’s a pretty cutthroat lifestyle, being a bandit, what’s the endgame?” Selma questioned.

“Being the best there is,” Faceless replied.

“And who’s the best?” Selma asked.

“Well, Showdown and I are tied but if you ask me, if he wasn’t the main character and the puppeteer’s favorite, I would easily kill him and be the top bandit,” Faceless answered.

“Wow, you really hate Showdown, and the puppeteer,” Selma said with surprise, she thought Showdown was his only enemy.

“Of course I hate the puppeteer! They’re controlling and make you do their every whim, and they act like you’re their favorite puppet but the moment you’re broken or useless to them, they abandon you like you’re garbage!” Faceless shouted, tears were starting to show in his scars.

Selma looked at Faceless sadly, it seemed like he was talking out of a personal experience, she reached out to hold his hand but he abruptly got of his chair and stormed off to the spare room, he loudly closed the door and Selma was left alone in her office. She felt so sorry for him; it turns out he wasn’t just a villain but rather a damaged man that lashed out at the world for what it did to him. She wondered what he may have been like before he got those scars, she sighed and continued on carving the wood, he needed time to himself at the moment and she would give him that.

After an hour or so, she completed her work and set it down, she would paint the shoulder tomorrow and Faceless would be ready to go. She figured now was a good time to check up on Faceless and she walked up to the door and hesitantly knocked on it.

“You can come in,” Faceless called out from the other side.

Selma turned the knob and opened the door, he was lying on the bed in the dark, she reached over to the lamp near the door and turned it on, the room and his form were now better illuminated and she noticed he was looking directly up which made her nervous since she had heard rumors of puppets going insane at just catching a glimpse of what’s above them.

“Can I, uh, can I sit here?” She asked, pointing to the side of the bed.

“Sure, it’s your house, you don’t need to ask me for anything,” He replied.

“I know, but I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable,” She explained.

She sat on the bed but made sure to stay a good distance away from him since she knew he wasn’t comfortable with physical contact.

“I wanted to check on you, make sure you were doing okay,” Selma said.

Faceless tensed up at that, he was never good at these kinds of talks, he didn’t like talking about his feelings, it made him feel weak and vulnerable.

“Did the puppeteer really make you feel useless?” Selma asked.

Faceless paused for a moment, “He made me feel a lot of things, none of them good in the end,” He answered.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Selma replied sadly.

She scooted further to the edge of the bed to give him more room, Faceless turned his head when he noticed her shifting further away from him.

“Hey, you can lie on the bed too, if you want,” He offered.

“Really, are you sure,” Selma asked surprised.

“Yeah, it’s your house, do what you want,” Faceless replied.

“Oh, uh, thanks,” She blushed.

She awkwardly shifted so she was lying on the bed next to him but she still kept some distance between themselves.

“What about you? What do you think of the puppeteer?” Faceless asked.

“Eh, we’re on mixed terms, I hate them for putting me in an awful family and in a world that made me fight just to get a job, but also I have to admit, the life I’m living now isn’t half bad,” She replied.

“Hm, that’s fair,” He replied.

Selma felt a little less tension than before and relaxed a little but made sure her head didn’t aim upwards; she slowly closed the distance between her and Faceless but made sure it wasn’t noticeable.

“What about you though? Is your life getting any better?” Selma asked.

Faceless paused, “A little, knowing you has helped a lot, “He answered as his cheeks blushed.

Selma blushed also and they slowly closed the distance between each other until they were lying right next to each other.

“You know, the puppeteer is wrong about you, you’re not useless,” Selma said.

She leaned back and closed her eyes so that she wasn’t looking back, her head was dangerously close to leaning on his shoulder but Faceless didn’t mind, in fact he found himself liking the touch.

“Really?” He replied.

“Yep, you’re not useless, you were injured but overcame it and didn’t give up, you proved everyone wrong and rose to the top, that’s not useless, that’s impressive and something to be proud of,” Selma answered.

Faceless paused, he had never thought of it that way, he had always been embarrassed by his past and felt that he would never measure up but she was right, he had overcome a lot of hardships that others would’ve easily given up on. He smiled at Selma and leaned towards her, both of their faces were flushed but it wasn’t accompanied by the usual swarm or awkward feelings.

“Thanks, I never thought of it that way,” He replied.

“No problem.” Selma said, she lifted herself off the bed and headed for the door,” Welp, I’m heading to bed, you’ll have your arm back by tomorrow, good night,” She called out before leaving.

“Good night,” He replied.

That warm feeling he got from her compliment stayed with him until he lied in bed and tried to sleep, he turned and tried sleeping but his mind wouldn’t let him, he couldn’t understand why though, he was comfortable and felt in the mood for sleep so why didn’t he sleep? He froze when his hand brushed over where Selma was a few minutes ago, that was why.

He missed her.

He felt lonely without her.


	9. Only One Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless finally has his arm back, unfortunately Showdown shows up and takes the guest bedroom, it appears that Selma and Faceless will have to come up with a solution as to where Faceless will sleep.

Faceless woke up and groaned, he barely got any sleep last night and his brain kept him up with ramblings about his realization of how much he actually loved Selma, he cringed at the word love, he wasn’t supposed to be like this. He’s an evil bandit, he’s not supposed to fall head over heels for a nice doctor, however he also didn’t find himself caring that much about how many rules he was breaking.

He paused his thoughts when he heard a door open across the hallway, he knew it was Selma and a small idea entered his head at that moment. He walked to the spare bed and felt around for the sheets and tried to pull them up neatly, he felt around for pillows and tried to arrange them by size, when he was done he knew his work was sloppy but he hoped Selma would appreciate the gesture.

The door behind him opened and Selma walked through and she immediately noticed the badly made bed, Faceless awkwardly smiled at her and rubbed his arm.

“I, uh, made the bed?” He said.

Selma stared at the bed and smiled and held back a chuckle,” Oh, uh, thanks,”

Faceless cringed at himself, “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“Oh no, well kind of, but don’t worry about it!” Selma replied, walking over to clean up the bed, “Besides, you actually made the bed, most other guests just kind of leave it how they found it,”

“Wow, really? That’s kind of rude.” Faceless replied, putting his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, but I don’t really mind, it’s not that big of a deal,” Selma shrugged.

After finishing cleaning up the bed she walked over to his side.

“Now come on, I’m about to finish your shoulder,” Selma smiled.

Faceless lit up at her sentence, he had missed having two arms so he couldn’t wait to get the other one back. He eagerly followed her to her desk and sat by her, she pulled out the shoulder and his arm.

“Hey, can you show me your shirt? I need to get the right coat of paint,” Selma asked.

Without a second thought, Faceless took of a side of his coat to reveal a red undershirt, Selma took a look at it and rummaged through her paints to find a color that most matched his shirt, Selma settled on a paint and pulled out brushes and began to apply coats of paint to the shoulder.

Faceless waited and then began to think, he had just removed his coat for her without thought, for others that would mean nothing but when it came to him that was like trusting someone not to shoot you when their gun was aimed right at you. He had changed a lot since he’d met Selma, he may have treated the townspeople the same way as always but he slowly began to befriend Selma and trust her and he found his feelings slowly turn into those of love.

“Done!” Selma smiled.

Faceless was pulled out of his thoughts as Selma carefully laid down the shoulder to allow it some time to dry, she gathered the paints and brushes and set them away, meanwhile Faceless waited for his shoulder to move, it had a numb tingling feeling in it and he could only move it a small bit. Selma finished putting away her supplies and turned around to notice Faceless struggling to move his arm, she walked up to him and held his arm.

“Here, I know some tricks that help you move it faster.” She said as she lifted his arm up.

She held it up in place for a bit, “Alright, try to hold it up,” She instructed.

Faceless tried to hold up his arm and power through the numbing feeling in his shoulder, when he managed to hold up his arm just a little, Selma slowly loosened her grip on his arm as more feeling returned to Faceless’s shoulder. When that annoying numb feeling finally left, Faceless moved his arm excitedly, Selma watched him with a smile on her face, he looked like an excited little kid.

“There ya go,” She smiled.

Faceless looked at her and smiled warmly, they paused and looked at each other happily, pleased with each other’s presence.

“Thanks, for fixing my shoulder, and everything else,” Faceless mumbled with a blush across his scarred face.

“Your welcome, and thanks, for making the bed,” Selma replied, trying to hold back a chuckle.

They smiled at each other warmly and stood next to each other in content silence, slowly they closed the distance and just stared. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door and jumped in surprise.

“Hey Selma, you home?” Showdown called out.

Faceless growled and reached for his scythe but Selma stopped him and grabbed his hand before he could grab it.

“Listen, you may wanna kill him and right now you’re under my roof so you listen to me, go wait in the spare bedroom,” She whispered to him.

Faceless groaned but complied, he grabbed his scythe and walked to the spare bedroom and closed the door, Selma turned around and walked to the front door and opened it for Showdown, Selma immediately noticed Showdown’s scarred leg and winced at the sight of it.

“Ouch, what happened?” Selma asked.

“Well, I had a run in with a few bandits and then Grieves showed up and things got ugly,” He answered.

“Alright, come on in,” She said, opening the door for him.

Showdown limped to her desk and Selma carefully watched him to make sure he didn’t fall and possibly worsen his injury, he sat on the spare chair as Selma brought out blocks of spare wood and papers of his character design and proportions.

“So, do you think you can fix me in time?” Showdown asked nervously.

“I can’t guarantee I’ll fix you in time before the next episode but I’ll do what I can,” Selma replied.

“Thanks, I hope you can, I don’t wanna be boxed,” Showdown said with a shiver.

“Hey, don’t talk like, I’ve done work like this before with less time,” Selma replied, trying to comfort the outlaw.

Faceless listened to their conversation and gripped his scythe tightly, he was really considering just breaking through the wall and cutting off the bandit’s head but he wouldn’t, Selma told him to wait so he would comply with her orders.

Faceless waited for hours until night came, Selma worked nonstop to replace Showdown’s limb and when her work was done she felt like she could collapse from exhaustion.

“Selma, are you okay?” Showdown asked.

“Yeah, I just need to get some sleep pretty soon,” She replied, her voice sounding weak and exhausted.

“Thanks again, you’re a life saver. Also, I don’t want to be a bother but could I spend the night at your place? It’s late and you and I both know how dangerous it gets when night time comes,” Showdown asked.

Selma snapped out of her exhaustion for a moment and panicked, she thought on what to do for a minute because she wasn’t going to kick out Faceless or Showdown.

“Uh, sure, just give me a second, the spare room is a bit of a mess,” Selma replied.

She ran to the spare room and saw Faceless sitting on the bed, he sensed her worry and was about to speak before she covered his mouth.

“Don’t say anything, I need you to hide in my room so be quiet and follow my lead,” She whispered.

He nodded and she gripped his hand tightly, she slowly led him to the hallway, she peaked around the corner and quickly pulled Faceless to her bedroom when Showdown had his back turned to her. She pushed him inside and sighed in relief.

“Okay, Showdown is staying in the guest room now, you can just sleep in my room for tonight,” Selma whispered to him.

“Wait, what!? What about you?” He shouted in a hushed tone.

“Don’t worry about it! I’ll just sleep at my desk, now I gotta go!” She replied and closed the door.

She ran back to Showdown and faked a calm smile.

“Alright, let’s go.” She said as she helped Showdown up and lead him to the spare bedroom.

They bid each other good night and Selma closed the door and head back to her desk and began to clean up, when Faceless was sure that Showdown was in the spare room and out of sight, he left Selma’s room and went to her desk.

“Well, I should get going, I don’t want to steal your room from you,” Faceless said.

“What? No! It’s fine, I can just sleep here, and besides the stringless come out at night, it’s too dangerous,” Selma objected.

Before Faceless could respond they heard the door to the spare bedroom open and Faceless panicked and hid behind her desk, Showdown walked out into the hallway and looked at Selma.

“Hey, are you talking to someone?” He asked.

“Nope, just talking out loud, sorry about that,” She replied nervously. 

“Huh, weird, I thought I heard another voice,” He said.

“You’re just tired, hearing things, get some sleep, I’ll be quieter,” Selma suggested.

“Alright, if you say so, goodnight Selma,” He replied.

“Good night,” Selma called out.

Showdown walked back to the room and Faceless and Selma sighed in relief, Selma then laid her head on the table and closed her eyes.

“Alright, you head to my room, I’ll just sleep here,” Selma whispered in a sleepy voice.

“Selma, I’m not gonna steal your room from you,” Faceless replied.

A few seconds went by without a response and Faceless raised a brow in confusion.

“Selma?” He called out.

He listened for a bit and heard quiet snoring, Selma had just fallen asleep and went out like a light, he sighed and pulled out her chair and picked her up bridal style and carried her to her room, he pulled down the covers and set her on the bed and covered her with the bed sheet. He turned around and walked to the door but stopped when a quiet voice called out to him.

“Where are you going?” Selma asked in a sleepy voice.

“I’m heading home,” He replied.

“Oh my god, stop being dramatic and just get in the damn bed, you’re not stealing it, sleeping in the bed will not kill you,” Selma groaned.

Faceless stood still and hesitated, the truth was he was fine with sleeping in the bed but he was scared because he knew it would make him love her more, he was reaching the point where he couldn’t deny what he was feeling was in fact love. But at the same time, he liked it, he liked this feeling in his chest and how Selma seemed to return them, it made him feel happy at the idea that someone could love him despite his job and his looks.

“You coming or not?” Selma asked.

Faceless sighed and headed for the bed, he walked to the bed and rested on the other side, he laid down and tried to relax but his head was racing and his heart was pounding, his cheeks felt like they were burning and he tried to focus on sleeping.

“If you want, I can just put a pillow between us if it makes you more comfortable,” Selma offered.

“No, I’m fine, it’s fine,” He lied.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax in the bed, he tried to distract himself by thinking of old memories, back when he used to have sight and when he was the star of the show. Then his mind betrayed him as he looked through his memories and tried to find any sight of Selma, he knew her description, but he didn’t know what she looked like. He knew she was beautiful, that’s how most townspeople described her, but seeing was completely different from hearing. He turned his head and laid on the bed sideways as he looked at Selma, he didn’t know what she sees in him but he wasn’t going to question a good thing, eventually his mind slowed down as he listened to Selma’s slow breathing and the quiet noises outside which helped lull him to sleep.

In the morning he woke up with a groan and he felt tangled up in something, he felt around and noticed that something was lying against his chest, or rather, someone. He silently panicked as he fully registered what was going on, they must’ve moved in their sleep quite a bit because now he and Selma were lying next to each other and embraced each other, Selma appeared to still be sleeping and frankly, he kind of liked what was happening, he liked feeling her against his chest, everything felt calm and serene. He decided to relax and sleep again, and just enjoy as much of this as he could before Selma woke up.


	10. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless tries to make breakfast for Selma, it could've gone better but at least he tried his best and Selma appreciated the effort, and besides, he now gets to spend the weekends with Selma.

Faceless slowly woke from his sleep and stretched, he slowly untangled himself from Selma’s limbs and crawled out of bed, his stomach felt empty, Selma probably wouldn't mind if he had a small snack, the he began to think.

She welcomed him in her bed, she fixed his shoulder without a second thought, and she did all of this for him without any thought of payment in return. Perhaps he could make her some food to show her his gratitude for her kindness, he thought on it more and smiled, the house may have been unfamiliar to him but he was sure he could figure his way through it.

He walked to the hallway and felt the walls, when he felt an opening he tried to remember which side lead to the office and the other to the kitchen, he went out on a limb and went to the left and figured he would feel his way through the surroundings to figure out if he was in the wrong area.

He wandered around for a bit until his hand touched what felt like drawers, he felt the lines until he managed to grab hold of the handle, he pulled it open and hoped the contents would be what he was looking for, he rummaged through it and felt small bottles, bowls, what appeared to be knives of varying sizes, and what appeared to be a box similar to a cereal box. He smiled and picked it up and shook it, he heard a strange metallic clinking inside and opened the box and felt inside, he hissed in pain when he felt hundreds of needles stab him, he quickly pulled his hand out and thought for a moment.

So far he had felt small bottles, bowls, knives, and a box full of needles. He paused and then cringed when he finally figured it out, he was in the office, he facepalmed and closed the drawer and headed to the kitchen and mumbled curse words and growled in frustration, at least only he knew of the embarrassing mistake.

When entering the kitchen he felt around for the counter and ran his hand along it, waiting for the feeling of any object on the table, so far he had felt small containers of spices and other knick knacks. Most of the objects weren’t even real food, it was just to fill space and give the kitchen a sense of realism, he sighed in frustration and continued his search by looking through the cabinets, he managed to find a bowl and felt around in the room for the table.

He continued his search and stopped when his hand ran across a wooden box that felt strangely cold.

“A cold box?” He muttered to himself.

He opened it and felt a cold breeze brush against him from inside of the box, he felt around and shivered when his hand touched a chunk of ice set in the bottom of the box, that confirmed it was definitely a cold box. He continued his search and eventually felt his hand wrap around a cold bottle, he stirred it in his hand and felt liquid swishing inside. He concluded it was milk and shut the door on the cold container and set the milk bottle on the table, two ingredients down, now he just needed to find cereal.

Selma slowly stirred from her sleep when she heard sounds coming from her kitchen, she yawned and stumbled out of bed into the hallway and paused when she saw Faceless rummaging through her cabinets, she looked to the table and noticed two bowls and a bunch of silverware as well as milk.

“Are you trying to find the cereal?” Selma asked.

Faceless jumped when he heard her voice, he turned to her looking flustered.

“Uh, yeah?” He replied awkwardly.

“To your left, middle shelf in the back,” Selma instructed the blind bandit.

Faceless followed her instructions and finally managed to find the box, he pulled it out of the cabinet with a satisfied look, Selma approached him and took the box from his arms.

“So, how long did it take you to find this stuff?” She asked.

“A bit, the cereal and silverware were the hardest part, I just grabbed a handful of silverware because I thought it would take too long to check all of it just for two spoons,” He answered.

“Wait, two spoons?” Selma repeated.

Faceless blushed and rubbed his arm nervously, he stuttered to respond, Selma waited for him to respond but she smiled when she finally figured out his reason.

“You were gonna make some for me, weren’t you?” She replied.

Faceless’s cheeks went completely red as he stared at the ground, he folded his arms and Selma held back a chuckle.

“I mean, yeah, kind of,” Faceless replied.

He continued looking at the ground until he finally broke and looked at Selma.

“Okay, yes, that was my plan. I wanted to do it as a way to say thank you,” He mumbled.

“Well, thanks, but frankly I’m just happy having you here,” Selma replied.

“You say that a lot but it’s always shocking for some reason,” Faceless responded.

Selma shrugged, “It shouldn’t, I like you being here, it’s lonely, not a lot of visitors,” She said.

“I’m surprised people don’t visit you more often, you’re nice and fun to talk to,” Faceless replied.

He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, Selma copied him, “It doesn’t matter how charismatic I may be, I don’t think anyone is going to find it worth enough to cross the giant, hot desert just for some chit chat,” She joked.

“Hm, I do, I’ve done it before, well also for medical treatment, but the conversation is a nice bonus,” He replied.

Selma smiled at him and she felt her cheeks heat up a little, she pushed herself from the counter and walked to the table.

“Here, I’ll make you breakfast,” Selma said.

“C’mon, let me do it,” Faceless objected.

“You sure? You won’t spill anything?” Selma asked, folding her arms.

“Absolutely, just guide me a little from time to time and tell me when,” He answered, sounding completely confident in his abilities.

Selma unfolded her arms and shrugged, it was worth giving it a shot, he seemed to be good enough in his abilities despite his disadvantage, it was worth a shot.

“Sure, why the hell not?” She said, sounding completely relaxed and amused.

She gave guided his hands through quick instructions, he picked up the box of Crumby Crisps and shakily held it about the two bowls, Selma spouted directions at him until he held the opening of the box right above the bowl.

“Okay, good, now pour” She ordered.

Faceless hesitantly tilted the box downwards and cereal spilled out and filled the bowl, as soon as it got full Selma shouted when and Faceless jerked the box upwards, they repeated and filled the other bowl. Now they needed milk and if Selma was being honest, she was a little more nervous about this step. Picking up cereal bits was easy, getting liquid out of wood? Not so much.

She carefully guided him with the bottle and didn’t let him pour until she was completely sure there was no chance of spilling even a drop, finally she was satisfied and spoke the command.

“Now, pour!” She smiled.

Faceless tilted the bottle and milk filled the bowl and the white liquid soon surrounded and filled the bowl, as soon as it got high Selma shouted the command to lift the bottle at the speed of light, Faceless quickly obeyed. They repeated the step and finally had two bowls of cereal, one for each of them, Selma and Faceless smiled, feeling satisfied however Faceless looked a little more proud.

He pulled out her chair for her and they began to eat in silence, the only sound in the room being the clink of spoons on bowls and the crunching of the cereal.

“Ugh, tastes like cardboard, but it’s the only option,” Selma grimaced, she turned to Faceless, “What about you? What do you think of the cereal?” She asked.

“Eh, food is food, I don’t get to eat a lot so I’ll take what I can get,” He replied with a shrug.

“Really? You barely eat?” Selma asked, sounding quite shocked.

“Well, when you’re me, going to Penny’s place for food isn’t an option and most people aren’t as generous as you,” He explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” She frowned.

“Eh, it’s fine, we don’t need to eat anyway,” He shrugged, sounding disinterested.

“But still, taste is a pretty fun thing,” She replied.

“Maybe, but I can live without it, I have been for a while. Ever since I became Faceless and the whole town shunned me,” He growled at mentioning how the town abandoned him.

Selma frowned and looked at him with sympathetic eyes and she listened to him go on about the cruelty of the town towards him.

“I thought at least maybe Penny would help me, she helps everyone, but I was wrong. But Showdown gets all the help he needs! He gets what he wants! While I’m left with nothing!” He growled in anger when talking about Showdown.

He was starting to get angry; he clenched his fists in his lap and his grip on his spoon tightened, Selma reached over with her hand and wrapped her fingers around Faceless’s fist, he unclenched his hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. He relaxed a bit and looked up at Selma and smiled, she had grown some sort of ability that just made him relax whenever she was around, he didn’t understand it but he didn’t question it, he just felt happy being with her.

“At least you’ve got me, and I won’t leave you like the town did,” She reassured him, holding his hand tightly.

His smiled widened and they were silent as they stared at each other lovingly for a few seconds before breaking away from each other’s gaze and finished eating. When they were done Faceless got his things and was prepared to leave, but not before bidding Selma goodbye and thanking her again for her generosity, he would never be able to repay her for her kindness.

“I guess I’ll see you in the next episode or on the weekend,” Selma said, she twiddled her thumbs awkwardly and her face was flushed.

“Actually, I was thinking,” Faceless mumbled, his fingers twitched.

Selma listened eagerly, “Yes?” She responded.

“Um, maybe, since my base is kind of a dump and my bed is more like a uncomfortable box than a bed, maybe I could spend the night at your place on the weekends?” He suggested, “That is, only if you want to! It’s completely up to you!” He finished, his face completely red at this point, he awkwardly smiled and his hand tightly gripped his scythe while his other hand fiddled with the stitches on his coat.

Selma’s smile grew and she felt her heart sing, “Sure, I’d love for you to spend the night here again,” she beamed.

Faceless’s smile grew and he looked like the image of happiness, “Great, I’ll see you then,” He grinned.

“See you then,” Selma smiled.

He turned around and headed out the door back to his base, Selma watched and that happy feeling lingered with her, she couldn’t wait for the weekend to come any sooner. She then thought, this was the first time she only felt complete happiness at the thought of Faceless returning, this time there was no fear or anxiety about the event, just complete bliss.

She sighed with a smile, she turned around and started getting ready for the day, pulling out supplies and checking up on stock, she went to the dress in her office and opened the drawers, everything looked to be in order. She then paused when she opened the bottom drawer, everything was stocked up but not in her usual order, she thought for a minute, trying to figure out what happened.

Then it hit her, she remembered hearing some mumbling coming from outside her room early in the morning, she just assumed she was hearing things since she was half asleep, perhaps Faceless had walked into the office at first on accident. She laughed to herself as she imagined the grumpy bandit figuring out where he was, she giggled and put the items back in order, she decided not to tease Faceless about it the next time she saw him, after all it was a simple mistake and he was trying, that’s what mattered. She finished readying her shop and sat her desk, keeping her mind entertained with the thought of Faceless accidentally making cereal out of medical supplies and her excitement at what could happen between them on the weekend.


	11. Escape the Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selma and Faceless get trapped in a mine, Selma learns that Faceless isn't just physically scarred, and at the end Selma and Faceless share an intimate moment

Selma woke up feeling eager and excited, she had a skip in her step and she walked to town with a smile on her face that wouldn’t leave, not that she minded or anything. Everyone waved when she passed by and asked why she was in such a good mood despite it being the first work day of the week, her answer was that’s just how she felt at the time.

She made a quick stop at Penny’s convenience store, she opened the door and heard the familiar bell ring as she entered, she looked to the front desk of the store to see a tired Penny resting her head on her hands. Penny smiled when she saw Selma and she lifted her head and greeted Selma, the doctor greeted her back and began to gather small items and they chatted while Selma looked through the shelves.

“So, how was your weekend, Selma?” Penny asked.

“Pretty good, not very eventful but that’s fine with me,” Selma lied, her weekend was good but it definitely was eventful, “What about you?” She asked in return.

“Oh, nothing really, just did small chores and hung around, I’m sad the weekend’s over though,” Penny replied with a pout.

“Well cheer up, the weekend always comes by eventually, no matter what,” Selma smiled.

“You seem really eager and upbeat on a Monday, what’s with you? Penny asked, eyeing her suspiciously, not out of distrust but genuine curiosity and confusion.

“I don’t know, I just feel kind of happy,” Selma replied.

Penny sighed, “Lucky you, I wish I had your attitude right now, I hate Mondays,” Penny frowned.

“Don’t worry, it’ll end eventually.” Selma replied, she placed her items on the counter and paid Penny the needed amount of cash.

She gathered her things in a bag and waved Penny goodbye, now that she got her needed supplies from Penny she needed to visit the wood cutter to restock her supply of wood, the trip to their house was quite a distance and she needed to head into the desert to get their, she always hated the journey but sighed and continued on, she had to do it eventually so she might as well get it over with.

She opened the door exiting the town and entered into the desert, there was saw dust on the floor that was supposed to imitate sand, the backgrounds were painted with the color of sand and the blue sky, there were numerous cutouts of cactus, rocks and boulders, and even some fake tumbleweeds.

Her attention was taken off her surroundings when she felt a prescience at her side and a scythe get dangerously close to her neck, she panicked but relaxed when she saw it was Faceless, he looked stern and angered.

“Who are you?” He growled.

“Faceless, it’s me, Selma,” She answered.

He gasped when he heard her voice and quickly pulled his scythe away from her neck and looked apologetic, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along to hide behind a rock cutout.

“What are you doing here?” Faceless asked sternly, he also sounded a bit concerned.

“I’m heading to the wood cutter to get some wood, what’s going on, what’s wrong?” She replied.

“You need to get out of here, it’s dangerous, I’m in a shootout with Black-Eyed Jack and a couple of bandits,” He answered, the stern tone being replaced with complete concern and worry for Selma.

Selma grimaced when she heard the name Black-Eyed Jack, Faceless took her hand and was about to sneak her back to the door but before they could even get up they heard bullets whizz by above their heads, they ducked down and Selma covered her head while Faceless gripped his scythe tightly.

“Well, it looks like we got a hostage now, what are you doing here, Selma?” Jack asked in a cocky tone.

“Please just let me go! I’m not involved in this!” Selma pleaded.

“Now you are, things are about to get interesting,” Jack smirked, “Now come on out, you two. Let’s get this show started.” Jack grinned evilly as he spun his gun chamber and reloaded.

“I have an idea on how to get us out of here, I just need you to follow my lead,” Faceless whispered to Selma.

She nodded in response; he then placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

“Remember, it’s just an act, I’m not gonna actually hurt you,” He reassured her.

She didn’t understand why he needed to say that, she knew he wasn’t going to hurt her, maybe Faceless just wasn’t aware of how much she trusted him, or maybe it was to comfort her, who knew but in the end she understood it was a way for him to show affection and care for her.

He grabbed her arms and placed them behind her back, he gripped them tightly which restrained her, he pulled her up and put his scythe close to her neck.

“You’d best lower your guns or you’re gonna have a bigger problem on your hands,” Faceless growled.

Jack looked puzzled and then he laughed, “Why would I care about what happens to Selma? She means nothing to me!” He replied.

“I know you don’t care, but the Sheriff sure as hell does,” Faceless said.

Jack then squinted at him suspiciously, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying that if I kill her, the sheriff’s coming after all of us, if a bandit killed his lover then he’s gonna kill every bandit, that includes you,” Faceless explained.

“What about you, idiot? That includes you!” Jack exclaimed.

“I know that, but unlike you, I know I can handle the sheriff, you can’t,” Faceless replied.

It looked like Jack was actually starting to reconsider, his face contorted to an expression of fear, however that all changed when he growled and pointed his gun at them.

“You’re lying, the only bandit that the sheriff would kill is you! And even if he did come after me, I could take him! Fire at the son of a bitch!” Jack barked.

The other bandits obeyed and open fire, Faceless and Selma and panicked and ran for cover, they ducked behind another rock cutout as they considered their options.

“So, uh, any plan Bs?” Selma asked nervously.

“Nope, that was it, also, I’m now lost,” Faceless replied.

Selma’s face turned afraid and shocked, “What do you mean you’re now lost?” She questioned.

“It means I’ve lost my bearings and can’t remember where I’m standing in the room so I can’t remember where the exits are, are we close to any?” He replied.

Selma carefully peered her head out to avoid being shot at, she noticed that all the exits were too far away and they would surely be gunned down if they attempted to make a run for it.

“Nope, we’d be shot dead before we even got close,” Selma replied.

Faceless panicked, “Are there any exits?”

“Uh, there’s a mine shaft, but there’s no lift and I think we might die from the fall,” Selma answered.

In front of them was a cardboard cutout of a mine entrance and in it the floorboards were cut to make a jagged hole, more bullets whizzed by them and the cutout was getting far too damage to use for cover anymore.

“Screw it, we’ll die either way!” Faceless shouted.

He grabbed her hand and they jumped into the hole, the tunnel was pitch black except for the bottom which was lit up by lanterns, they were roughed up by crashing into the walls while falling and Selma got the worst of it. Her left leg hit hard against the wall and her calf shattered, they hit hard against the floor and the wind was knocked out of them, Faceless was roughed up and every part of him ached, Selma hissed and gripped her broken leg and screamed.

Faceless jumped when he heard her screamed and struggled to find her, the cavern made her scream echo and he had trouble determining where she was. Selma noticed him struggling and reached out one of her hands and grabbed Faceless’s hand, he jumped but settled down when he realized it was only Selma. He rushed to her side and held her up, Selma hissed and gripped her broken leg, Faceless looked at her with a sad, guilty face.

“I’m so sorry! This is my fault!” He cried.

“It’s fine, at least we’re not dead, don’t blame yourself,” Selma replied.

Faceless tried to relax but he just gripped Selma tighter as he tried to calm himself down.

“I’m not mad at you, we got out of the shootout, now we gotta get out of here,” Selma said.

“But your leg,” Faceless whispered.

“Not to worry, I’m always prepared.” Selma replied, she reached into one of her apron pockets and pulled out woodworking glue.

“Help me get all the pieces,” Selma said.

Selma gathered all the wood pieces she could reach and pulled them into a pile, Faceless felt around on the ground and added any wood pieces he could to the pile, eventually they gathered enough and Selma began the painstakingly slow process of piecing and glueing her leg back together.

Eventually she finished fixing her leg, the cracks were obvious as well as the glue and it looked a little crooked compared to her other leg, Faceless helped her up and wrapped his arm around her to make sure she didn’t fall, she had a limp but other than that she was fine.

“Now what? How do we get out?” Faceless asked.

“Now’s the tricky part, I need you to follow me, we’ll find the exit through trial and error,” Selma answered.

Selma grabbed Faceless’s hand and they started the long process of locating the mine exit, neither of them knew where they were going and both were lost, Selma had grabbed a small rock to mark the walls of the cavern so that they knew where they had been and didn’t end up going in circles.

“Hey Selma,” Faceless said.

“Yeah?” She replied.

“Why weren’t you mad when I killed Jack or threw us down this mine shaft? Most other people would be furious, it also doesn’t help that I’m basically the reason you got your leg broken,” He asked.

“Well, for one, I don’t think the situation with Jack could’ve ended any other way, and two, we didn’t really have a choice, we ever stay up there and get shot to death or come down here and risk potential death. As for the broken knee, that was an unexpected accident, none of this is your fault.” Selma answered.

“It is though, none of this would’ve happened if I wasn’t such an idiot,” He replied.

“You’re not an idiot,” Selma reassured him.

“You sure? I couldn’t even make cereal without your help!” Faceless exclaimed.

“What’s so bad about needing help? Everyone needs it at some point, if you weren’t here to help me right now I’d be dead in minutes,” Selma replied.

Faceless paused, he went silent and continued follow Selma, they went around the in the maze of a mine for what felt like hours, after so much walking they were finally down to one path, it was a small thin opening that they would have to squeeze through.

“Okay, this should be it, come on,” Selma said.

She let go of Faceless’s hand and squeezed through the tight space, Faceless paused when he felt how close the walls were, he felt a nervous feeling rise in the pit of his stomach and he took a deep breath and slowly edged his way through it. When he felt the walls graze against his back and stomach he felt his brain into alert and his breathing started to quicken, his mind was going back to those dark times, the one’s he refused to talk about or even think about. Selma noticed Faceless had stopped and saw his face looked like one of pure fear, she walked to him and grabbed his hand.

“Come on, you can do it, just a few more steps,” She said.

She gave him a few tugs but not enough to actually pull him, Faceless was in complete panic mode and he yanked his hand out of her grip and shoved himself out of the tight space, he fell to the ground on the other side and he sat on the ground and he covered his head with his hands as he hyperventilated and tears fell out of his scars.

Selma gasped and ran through the tight space to Faceless’s side, she tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he hissed at her touch and panicked and scooted further away from her. After noting all of Faceless’s behaviors, Selma concluded he was having a panic attack, most likely caused from PTSD, something about that tight space reminded him of something traumatic. She walked up and sat at his side but didn’t touch him, she would have to go through this with him slowly and carefully if she wanted to get him to calm down.

“Faceless, it’s okay, I’m here with you,” Selma whispered.

Faceless didn’t react to Selma and still sobbed.

“Faceless, you’re okay, you’re having a flashback, it’s not real, we’re in a mine right now,” Selma said.

Faceless seemed to acknowledge her but he was still dealing with the effects of the flashback, Selma took it as a small success and continued comforting him.

“Faceless, tell me where you are,” Selma instructed the bandit.

The bandit was still shaking and he struggled to speak, “M-Mine,” He stuttered.

“That’s right, you here with me, you’re okay. Just breathe, slow deep breathes,” She said in a soothing voice.

Faceless’s breathing slowed down but it was still shaky, his body was less stiff than before but it was clear that his guard was still up and he hadn’t fully relaxed.

“Faceless, can I touch you?” Selma asked.

Faceless was still for a moment then hesitantly nodded, Selma wrapped her arms around him and ran her hand up his back, giving him nice slow strokes. Faceless leaned into her touch and rested his head on her shoulder as his breathing slowed down, his breathes were shaky and he cringed to her, whatever flashback he had must’ve been really scarring Selma had thought.

“Are you gonna be okay?” She asked.

He gave a light nod in response, he felt comforted by her presence but also felt humiliated to have Selma see him like this, he was supposed to be a strong, intimidating villain that everyone feared but here he was practically being cradled by Selma like he was a baby, all because he couldn’t go through a tight space. He couldn’t stand tight places, they reminded him of being in the box, so tight, so restrictive, so lonely.

“We’ll find another way out, you don’t have to go through there,” Selma said.

“No!” Faceless loudly objected, “I can do it, I’m not gonna let some memory control me, I’m not gonna let it make me weak,” He gritted his teeth.

Selma gasped, “Faceless, having trauma doesn’t make you weak,”

“Then how do you explain this?” He exclaimed, waving his arms to gesture to how she was holding him, “You’re holding me like I’m some dumb baby that got scared by lightning or some other dumb thing.” He crossed his arms and moved away from her touch but still sat close by.

“Faceless, if you’re a baby then nearly everyone in town is too,” Selma retorted.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“You think you’re the only person with trauma? You think you’re the only that has flashbacks? Nearly all my patients have gone through something similar,” She replied in a stern voice.

Faceless looked a little embarrassed but then growled, “That’s different, they’re not me! I’m supposed to be a strong villain! I’m not allowed to be like this!” He shouted.

“Faceless, everyone has weaknesses, even the Sheriff, no one is immune,” Selma replied.

Faceless frowned and looked at the ground, Selma sighed and put a gentle hand on his shoulder as not to surprise him.

“Faceless, having a problem or being afraid doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human,” Selma comforted the bandit.

His look turned less from an angry one and to more of a sorrowful one.

“And whatever scared you this badly wasn’t just some dumb fear or bad memory, it was a legitimately scarring moment and you deserve to recognize it as such,” Selma grabbed Faceless’s hand and squeezed it.

Faceless paused for a moment, “It was a dumb fear, though,” He whispered.

“How though? How could anything that could cause this much psychological damage somehow be just a dumb fear?” Selma asked in an exasperated tone.

“Because it was a box!” He shouted.

Selma went silent for a moment, “What?”

“All this dumb fear and panic was caused by a literal box!” Faceless exclaimed.

“How did a box make you afraid of tight spaces?” Selma paused and thought for a moment, “Unless you’re talking about the puppet boxes,” She whispered.

“When I first got these.” He said, pointing to the numerous scars on his face, “I was put in the box for a long time, and I guess it had more of an effect on me than I thought,” He explained.

“So that’s why you’re scared,” Selma said.

“I just don’t like the small places, it’s just like the box, cramped, no space to move, and unbelievably lonely,” Faceless’s voice cracked at the last part.

Selma looked at him with sympathetic eyes and she gripped his hand tighter, Faceless noticed and gathered himself in time before he could cry.

“I’m fine, just go through, I’ll find another way out,” Faceless said, he seemed dismissive of his problem.

“Absolutely not! I’m not leaving you behind! We’re leaving together!” Selma replied, sounding determined.

“Selma, I can’t go, I’ll freak out again,” He responded.

Selma sighed and then sat in thought, trying to come up with a solution, her eyes lit up when an idea came to her.

“You said in the box you were lonely, right?” She said.

“Uh, yeah?” He confirmed, sounding confused.

“Which means no one else was with you, right?” She continued, smiling.

“What are you talking about?” He asked.

“I have an idea,” She answered with a bright smile.

Faceless looked at her surprised and turned to face her completely, he leaned in her direction and listened.

“I want you to hold my hand when we walk through the crevice,” Selma ordered the bandit.

“How will holding your hand help?” He asked, he didn’t doubt her plan he just didn’t understand her solution.

“I realized that you weren’t just scared of the box’s tight space, you were scared of being alone, if I’m with you then maybe it’ll help,” Selma explained.

“Well, it’s worth a try,” Faceless sighed.

Selma offered him a hand and he took it, she pulled him up to his knees and pulled him along to the crevice, he hesitantly followed and dragged his feet a little but Selma was patient. Selma entered the crevice first and pulled him in, when he first felt the cramped walls brush against his stomach and back he held his breath and clenched his fist.

“You’re doing great, I’m right here,” Selma reassured the outlaw.

Selma’s voice helped him a little but he could still fear the anxiety creeping up his wooden spine, the crevice itself was actually quite short but it felt like a lifetime for Faceless, he could feel his breathing quicken and he felt like he was seconds away from breaking.

“You did it! You’re out!” Selma beamed.

Faceless paused, he must’ve lost himself for a moment because he was completely unaware he had just exited the crevice until Selma had told him, he was happy it was finally over but he could still feel anxiety bubbling in his stomach. Selma noticed and gripped his hand tightly, trying to get him to focus on her so he wouldn’t think about the past.

“Hey, you need to sit down for a bit?” Selma asked.

“No, I just wanna get out of here,” He replied.

“Alright, well the good news is I think I can see a light up ahead, we’re getting close to the exit!” Selma smiled.

Faceless sighed in relief at the good news, Selma still held his hand and pulled him to the exit and he followed happily, he couldn’t wait for this nightmare to be over, he felt emotionally drained and exhausted.

“When we get out, do you wanna head to my place or are you just gonna go home?” Selma asked.

Faceless paused and thought for a second, “I’ll stay at your place for a bit, I wanna make sure you’ll be okay after what happened to your leg,” He replied.

Selma smiled, “I’ll be fine, I promise, but thanks,” She responded.

They continued walking through the cavern and Selma saw a light at the end of the tunnel, she smiled and quickened her pace and Faceless quickened his to keep up with her.

“I can see it! We’re almost home!” Selma beamed.

Faceless smiled and sped up, when they emerged from the mine Selma smiled and sighed in relief to finally see the bright sun, it was actually just bright stage lights but to the puppets it was the equivalent of a sun.

“Finally, we’re out, I will never take the light for granted again,” Selma sighed,” Seriously, it was almost pitch black in that cave, it felt like I couldn’t see! Can you imagine what it’s like to live like that forever?” Selma asked.

Faceless smirked at her and folded his arms, he lifted one eyebrow at her and Selma gasped when she figured out what she said.

“I was referring to miners! I’m so sorry!” She apologized while fighting a snicker.

“It’s fine, you didn’t mean it, that’s a lot better than the others that actually try to insult me,” He replied.

“Well, let’s head to my home, my chores can wait, come on,” Selma said.

Faceless followed Selma to her house and he opened the door for her as she walked inside and headed straight for her desk, she rummaged through the boxes and pulled out the key.

“The good thing about being a doctor is that you’re always ready for your own repairs,” She smirked while twirling the key with her finger.

She folded the carpet on the floor to reveal a door on the floor with a keyhole, she put the key in it and turned, she opened it to reveal a staircase into the dark, she walked down and Faceless hesitantly followed since he didn’t know the surroundings.

“What is this?” Faceless asked.

“It’s the storage room, it’s where I keep extra supplies, and extra limbs, mostly my own,” She answered.

She rummaged through the shelves, not needing a light since the room was so familiar to her, Faceless felt around the room trying to get his bearings and figure out the shape of the room. Selma pulled out a spare leg and guided Faceless up the stairs, she closed and locked the door and covered it back up, she walked to the desk and unscrewed her cracked leg and it fell to the ground, she screwed the new leg on and waited for a bit.

“Just gotta wait a minute,” Selma said to herself out loud.

“You’re always prepared for anything,” Faceless said.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well, you had that glue on you so you could fix your leg, you’re the reason we were able to get out of the mine, you had spare limbs on standby, and,” He paused for a moment and he twiddled his thumbs, “You knew how to help me when I started freaking out,” He finished.

“I’ve got a lot of experience, and I learn from my mistakes,” Selma replied, “Also, I’ve dealt with a lot of patients who were like you,” she said.

He hummed in response.

“Faceless,” Selma said gently.

Faceless felt his heart stop in a weird way and his face heated up as he looked at her.

“Yes?” He responded.

She reached over and grabbed his hand, “I want you to know that your scars, your flashbacks, none of these make you weak. Needing help doesn’t make you make, nor does having weaknesses,” She reassured him.

“I don’t want to be a burden to you,” Faceless replied.

“Faceless, needing help sometimes isn’t being a burden, I don’t consider it to be a nuisance, I genuinely want to help you,” Selma moved her seat so she could be closer to him.

“If I worth it then why doesn’t anyone else want to help me?” He asked.

“Because I know the real you, they don’t,” Selma replied.

Faceless paused when she said that, “And who’s the real me?” He asked.

“Well, you’re funny and love puns, you’re a dork,” Selma answered.

Faceless pouted when she said that.

“But, you’re also really nice, and you care a lot even if you though you aren’t very outward about it,” Selma finished.

He blushed when she said that, “I don’t think I’m that nice,” He replied.

“You’re nice to me,” Selma retorted.

Faceless paused and struggled to speak,” Well, yeah, because you’re worth it,” He smiled.

Selma felt her cheeks heat up and they brought their faces together, they closed the distance between themselves and their mouths slowly met to make a kiss. It was short and sweet but felt longer than it really was, Selma and Faceless lost themselves for a moment but quickly pulled away when they finally grasped what they just did. Selma gasped and her face was completely red, Faceless looked shocked and both were still and silent for a long while.

“Oh my god, we did that,” Faceless whispered.

“We actually kissed,” Selma said in complete shock.

“I’m so sorry!” Faceless exclaimed.

“Don’t be! I kissed you back!” Selma shouted.

Faceless put his head in his hands as he tried to gather himself, Selma rested her hand on her temple as she tried to gather herself.

“What do we do now?” Selma asked.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Faceless replied with dread in his voice.

“I mean, we can’t date, I would be charged with treason of some sort and hung for it!” Selma exclaimed.

“I know! I don’t want you to risk your safety for me!” Faceless replied.

They both went silent for a moment.

“What do we do now?” Selma asked.

Faceless sighed, “I don’t know, I need to get going though,” He stood up and headed for the door.

“We’ll talk about it on the weekend,” Faceless said.

Selma watched him leave and when the door closed she was left with a feeling of dread and emptiness, she missed him but now it was more complicated since they knew they both loved each other but they weren’t supposed to be together. He was an evil bandit that was supposed to be cruel and unkind and she was a doctor that was supposed to be a side character that was rarely used. If she were to be with him and they were caught, both would be hung, so then why did some small fraction of her still want to see him?

She didn’t know what would become of them in the future, she and Faceless would have to figure something out of the weekend, she was so excited to see him that day, now all she could do was dread it out of fear that it would be the last time they talk.


	12. Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless and Selma discuss the future of their relationship and whether they should keep seeing each other or not, but I think we all know how it ends

The dreaded weekend had finally arrived, and Selma sat impatiently at her desk waiting for the Faceless bandit to finally arrive, she tapped her foot on the wooden floor and stared off into space with a worried look plastered on her face. She was trying to think of every counterargument she could bring up to convince Faceless to stay and keep up their secret weekend visits, which was insane of her to do since she knew the dangers of continuing their relationship and knew it could result in death but for some reason she just didn’t care anymore.

She wasn’t going back to waiting in an empty house for someone to visit because of a medical reason and then ditch her the moment it was fixed, she wasn’t going back to that hellish lifestyle, she couldn’t stand how lonely it was back then. With Faceless, there was excitement in her life and she wasn’t alone anymore, she had someone to talk to and dance with. Plus, it made her happy to see Faceless’ mood slowly improve as he hung out with her more and more, she was starting to see the real man that laid behind that scarred face just waiting for someone to reach out.

She loved getting glimpses of the real him, seeing him smile and laugh at a dumb pun, the way he grinned like a kid when he did something right or he got a new limb, or how sometimes he would just stare at her like she was everything to him. It was also cute how he denied it and went back to his usual stoic expression but she knew he cared and it made her feel so important to know that the Faceless Bandit looked at her as if she was worth everything to him.

Selma was pulled out of her romantic fantasy when she heard a pound on the door, specifically the back door, which was odd.

She stood up and headed to the kitchen and opened the back door to reveal Faceless, he had his usually stern expression but this time it was mixed with something else, something sad. She greeted him excitedly but had to remind herself the reason they were having this meeting and her smile disappeared as Faceless walked past her and he leaned on the kitchen table and crossed his arms.

“So, who talks first?” Selma asked.

“I guess I’ll go first, I think we shouldn’t see each other anymore,” Faceless said somberly.

Selma frowned and objected, “But why? No one’s caught on to us and we make each other so happy!”

“Sure, maybe no one has seen us yet! But eventually one of us will slip up and then the whole town will know!” Faceless replied.

“Come on! Be realistic! I love this town but you and I both know it’s mostly full of ignorant idiots that couldn’t pour water out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel!” Selma shouted, she furrowed her brows and clenched her fists.

“Yeah but they’re not that dumb! We’ve had too many close calls! The saloon incident with Showdown! The town dance! And at your own house when Showdown was spending the night!” Faceless barked, he barred his sharp fangs.

“Even if that’s true, we can handle it! You have a scythe and can beat up anyone and everyone in town trusts me, I could make up a lie on the spot and they’d all believe it!” She retorted.

“Selma, I can’t take on the whole town and no one is that gullible, even if they like you that much! They’ll figure it out and then they’ll hang you!” Faceless screamed, he pushed himself on the table and was standing over Selma.

Selma wasn’t intimidated and she wasn’t backing down, “I don’t care! I’m not gonna stop! I don’t care if they have a gun pointed at my head, I’m still doing this!” She hissed.

“But why though!?” Faceless cried, he waved his hands in the air to exaggerate his point and convey his stress and anger, “How is seeing me worth more than your own life!?” He shrieked.

“Because you’re probably the greatest guy I’ve met in this whole town! You respect me! You treat me nicely! I love having you around!” She shouted.

“I treat you nicely because you’re the best person in this whole town!” He barked, he then grabbed her by the shoulders and held her tightly and his expression turned to one of fear, “Which is why I can’t risk losing you!”

Selma grabbed his arms and pulled them off her and her fingers intertwined with his, “And you won’t! Nothing is going to happen to me!” She tried to reassure the bandit but he wasn’t having any of it.

“You don’t know that! You have no idea how this is going to end which is why we can’t take the risk!” Faceless cried.

She let go of his hands and clenched her fists, “What’s gotten into you!? You were never this paranoid before about doing dangerous things! What’s different!?” Selma questioned.

“Because when I made those choices only I risked getting hurt, this time you could get hurt and I’m not risking it!” Faceless answered.

“But I have a choice! It’s not your decision to decide if I see you or not!” She responded.

“But a part of it is my choice! I can decide whether I want to see you or not!” He retorted.

Selma huffed and crossed her arms and turned away from him, it appeared they were at an impasse. Selma sighed and ran her fingers through her yarn hair, Faceless folded his arms and looked at the ground.

“You’re right, you also have a part in this choice,” Selma said.

Faceless looked up at her, confused by her sudden agreement.

“If you don’t want to see me, then there’s nothing I can do,” She frowned.

Faceless listened to her in silence, not knowing where she was going with her conversation.

“So I’m giving you this final choice, if you truly think it’s best that we don’t see each other, then you are welcomed to walk through that door and never come back, I won’t argue and I won’t try to stop you.” Selma pointed at the back door.

Faceless didn’t leave just yet because he suspected there would be a catch.

“But, if you leave, I want you to know that it will be hell for me. With you gone, I’ll be back to my old, lonely life. Just waiting for people to visit and sitting in an empty house for days on end,” Selma warned the bandit.

Faceless was about to object but Selma interrupted him.

“But I’ll be okay. I’ll get used to it, I’ve done it before and I can do it again,” She said with a somber smile, “But the real question is, can you handle going back to your own lifestyle?” Selma questioned.

“What?” Faceless furrowed his brows and was caught off guard.

“Can you handle going back to your lonely lifestyle?” She repeated.

Faceless sweated,” Of course I can,” He replied.

“You say that but after getting to know you, I know you can’t. You act like a big tough bandit that doesn’t need anyone but I know that before you met me, it was hell for you,” Selma retorted.

Faceless tried to object but she interrupted him.

“I know that if you went out that door right now, it would kill you eventually, you can’t stand the thought of going back to that lonely life where everyone hated you and you had no one you could trust or rely on,” Selma hissed, aiming at all of Faceless’s fears.

He wanted to retort but his mouth wouldn’t move and he couldn’t think of anything to say because deep down he knew she was right.

“But if you think you can handle it, I won’t stop you from leaving right now,” She said.

She stepped to the side to make a clear path for him to the door, Faceless looked at her with a scared expression and then he turned to the door, he stood still for a moment before clenching his fists and grabbing his scythe and heading for the door. He stopped in front of it and he reached for the handle but his hand stopped, he was frozen in place and he shook in fear. Selma watched him and folded her arms; she knew how this was going to end and waited for Faceless to finally cave and admit the truth. Selma frowned and watched Faceless go still and silent, she could only imagine the inner turmoil he was going through as he argued with himself.

Faceless kept going in a circle, he would bring up how his presence and the risk of being caught could endanger Selma and potentially kill her and he couldn’t live with himself if that happened but then he retorted with how it would kill him if he had to go back to his old lonely life. He thought of Selma being hung but then it was replaced with the thought of Selma sitting by him as she fixed him up and them just enjoying each other’s company. Somehow the thought of passing puns with Selma felt more valuable than her actual safety and he felt selfish for his feelings.

In the end, he knew why he wanted to stay, because he would rather be dead than go back to his empty hideout and wait to be called out for an episode, he pulled his hand away from the door and clenched his fist. He turned around and looked at Selma with a sad face, tears started to pour out of his scars, Selma looked at him with pity and she walked up to him. She waited for him to speak and it took him a few seconds to finally choke out a few quiet words.

“I don’t want to go,” He whispered.

Selma frowned and hugged him and he was hesitant to return it at first, he slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him as if afraid if he didn’t hold on tight enough she would slip through his grasp.

“So, what will we do then?” Selma asked.

“Do you know how to shoot a gun?” He replied.

“Yeah,” She answered.

“Then maybe we can make it work,” Faceless sighed.

Selma hugged him tighter, “Why did you ask if I know how to use a gun?” She questioned.

“Just in case there’s a mob or we need to get rid of a witness,” Faceless answered.

Selma grimaced at the thought be she knew there was a possibility they would have to do that if they weren’t careful.

“So, you’ll stay for the weekend?” Selma asked.

He paused for a moment, “Sure, but we’ll need to make some ground rules so we can be careful,” He replied.

Selma smiled and sighed in relief, they eventually parted after a while and Selma awkwardly twiddled her thumbs.

“Well, now that that drama show is over, do you want a drink?” She asked.

Faceless smiled, “Sure, you have any bourbon?”


	13. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faceless and Selma try to have a peaceful nights sleep however a horrid nightmare puts a stop to that and Selma now has to comfort Faceless from his terrifying dreams

After a few cups of wine and some bottles of bourbon, Selma was a little tipsy and Faceless was starting to get buzzed, it was late and Selma suggested they head to bed soon, Faceless agreed and was about to enter the guest bedroom until Selma called out to him.

“Where are you going?” She asked in a sleepy voice.

“Uh, the guest bedroom?” He replied, confused by her question.

She walked to him, her footing was a little uneasy and stable, she placed one hand on his shoulder and held his hand with the other one.

“Come on, sleep in my room,” She begged.

“But Selma, you’re drunk, your judgment’s not right and you can’t consent,” Faceless replied.

She giggled, “I’m not asking for anything like that! I just want to sleep together, the bed’s cold and lonely without you,” Selma pouted.

“I’m still not sure, you seem out of it and I don’t want to take advantage of you in any way,” Faceless responded.

Selma then got a little sterner, “Faceless, it’s just sleeping in the same bed, I’m not asking for a kiss or anything further, and besides we’ve already slept together before and I was completely fine with it, why would it be a problem now?” She retorted.

Faceless tried to think of a comeback but he found no other reason to argue, she brought up a valid point, he sighed and finally agreed.

“Okay Selma, you win, I’ll sleep in your room,” He replied.

Selma grinned and giggled, she clapped her hands excitedly like a little kid, “Yay!”

She wrapped her hands around his arm and excitedly pulled him along to her bedroom, her grin was from ear to ear.

“You’re really excited about this, huh?” Faceless said.

“Yeah! My bed is so cold and lonely but with you it’s nice and warm!” She replied.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” He smiled.

They arrived into her room and settled into the bed, Faceless was about to get into the covers until Selma stopped him.

“Silly, you can’t go to sleep with your hat and coat on! Get more comfy! It’s sleepy time,” She smiled with a silly grin.

Faceless smiled at Selma while concluding that Selma was the silly type of drunk person when she drank a little too much, it was kind of adorable to see this well-spoken woman talk like an excited little kid.

“Okay, fine, but I’m only taking my coat off for this one night,” He complied, taking off his chipped and scarred hat and shrugging off the tattered coat.

Selma took the coat and hat and placed them on her dresser, she turned around and jumped into the bed and cocooned herself into the comfortable covers, Faceless chuckled at her antics and Selma beamed at him but paused when she noticed the numerous scars on his waist and shoulders that were hidden by his coat, there were even scars on top of his head.

“What’s all that?” She asked.

“What’s all what?” Faceless replied.

Selma sat up and poked at one of the large scars on his waist, Faceless jumped at the touch and scooted away from her hand with a startled look.

“Don’t touch those,” He warned.

“But how did you get all those? They look really bad,” Selma responded, sounding like a curious kid.

“It’s not important!” He barked.

Selma jumped a little at his sudden outburst and Faceless noticed and rushed to apologize.

“Sorry, it’s just a sore subject for me,” He apologized.

“No, I’m sorry!” Selma whined, “I always do this when I drink a little too much, I don’t think and I do stupid things like I just did now!” She cried.

“No Selma, you don’t have to be sorry! You didn’t know and you’re just a little tipsy! You didn’t actually do anything that bad, I’m not actually mad at you,” Faceless reassured her.

“You’re not?” Selma replied.

“No, of course not. It’s not like you actually meant to hurt me, it was just a mistake, everyone makes them,” He responded.

Selma smiled from ear to ear, “Oh, you’re so nice! I’m so happy I met you!” She beamed.

“Same here, now sleep or you’re gonna hate yourself in the morning,” Faceless replied, reaching out to stroke her soft hair.

She smiled and blushed at the touch and complied, lying down on the bed and wrapping the blankets tightly around herself, Faceless joined her and pulled the soft sheets over himself.

He felt instant relaxation and calm when he settled into the sheets, the bed was so much more comfortable than his old rickety bed at his hideout but there was also another quality to this bed that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It gave him this weird sense of comfort and safety, like nothing could hurt him as long as he was in the soft covers, he didn’t feel cold and alone like before and he just couldn’t figure out what made this bed so special.

His shoulder tensed when he felt a sudden weight appear on it, he felt a hand drape itself across his chest and he concluded this mysterious weight was actually just a very tired Selma, he felt this euphoric feeling in his chest and that’s when it finally hit him.

He was happy because he was with Selma in a nice cozy bed, the realization stunned him a little by making him realize just how much he actually loved this woman, he was falling for her bad. The thought scared him but also pleased him, he readjusted his arms so Selma had more room for her head and so he could wrap his arm around her and hold her closer.

He looked down at her, imagining how the sleeping woman looked resting her head on his shoulder, he laid his back down and finally drifted to sleep, it was probably the quickest he had ever gone to sleep, it felt like the moment his head touched the pillow his mind was already drifting away.

He went to sleep with a smile and a eutrophic feeling, he concluded at that moment that the weekends were going to be the best part of his life and his favorite as well.

After a couple of hours, Selma was awakened in the middle of the night from the sounds of groaning and whimpering as well as something shifting beside her, she sat up and rubbed her eyes as her sight slowly adjusted to the dark room. Her eyes soon adjusted and she had also found that the alcohol had finally left her system since her head didn’t feel as foggy as before.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds at her side becoming louder and the shifting turning into full on thrashing. She gasped and looked to her side to see Faceless asleep but with a look of fear and his body constantly moving, as if trying to escape invisible cuffs, he thrashed about and started shouting and screaming.

Selma panicked and started to scream at Faceless to wake up, his screaming seemed to drown out her own so she grabbed him and shook him awake, he gasped and quickly sat up and thrashed about in her arms and wriggled out of her grip and seemed to still believe he was in a nightmare.

“Faceless, calm down it’s just me!” Selma shouted.

“I won’t let you drag me back in there!” Faceless screamed.

He thrashed about and threw his arms around trying to hit something but luckily he missed her each time, he was freaking out and seemed to believe he was still in his nightmare, Selma had to think of a way to snap him out of it before she got hit by one of his punches.

Selma took her hands off his arms and gave him enough space and spoke in a soft soothing voice.

“Faceless, calm down, it was just a nightmare, you’re awake now,” She whispered.

Faceless’s movement slowed down until they came to a stop and he stopped growling and screaming and all Selma could hear from him now was deep breathing, he looked around and felt his surroundings before looking at Selma.

“Selma? Is that you?” He asked.

Selma sighed in relief, she got through to him and he had finally calmed down.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Selma replied.

Faceless then looked worried and guilty, “Oh god, I tried to punch you a few seconds ago!” He exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t actually hit me,” Selma replied.

“That doesn’t matter! I still tried to!” He shouted.

Selma reached out and held his hands tightly,” No, you weren’t actually trying to hurt me, you were just panicking because you thought you were still in your nightmare,” Selma explained.

“That doesn’t matter, I still could’ve hurt you!” Faceless replied.

Selma sighed, he was a very stubborn man but at least he was really caring, she could do less with the stubborn attitude and near refusal to change his mind on anything, especially on his views of himself.

“But you didn’t, I’m a grown woman, I can handle a punch,” Selma responded sternly.

Faceless was a little taken aback by her sudden tone shift and went silent, Selma took his silence as a chance to keep talking.

“Faceless, you had a really bad nightmare and a possible panic attack, my main concern right now is helping you,” She spoke.

Faceless blushed at her kind words, “What did I do to deserve you?” Faceless asked.

“Faceless, everyone deserves kindness, you as well, you’re just as valuable and deserving of kindness as everyone else,” Selma answered.

He smiled at hearing that, Selma never failed to make him smile or feel so special, she was probably, no definitely, the best person in this town.

“Now, if you’re comfortable with it, can you tell me what your nightmare was about? Maybe I can help if I know what it’s about,” She asked.

Faceless blushed in embarrassment and looked down, he pulled his hands away from her and folded his arms.

“You don’t need to worry about it, it’s just a silly nightmare,” He mumbled.

Selma reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder and gripped it tightly.

“Faceless, that wasn’t just a silly nightmare, it was clearly terrifying and it’s okay for something like that to scare you,” Selma reassured him, “However it’s not okay to ignore it and call it a silly dream when it’s clearly something much more serious,” Selma said sternly.

Faceless looked at her for a moment and then sighed, “I was on the stage and there were these masked people watching me, and then I felt a bunch of hands grab me and drag me backwards, when I turned around I saw they were dragging me towards a box but it was pitch black inside,” Faceless said.

He clenched his fists and grit his teeth, Selma grabbed one of his fists and intertwined her fingers with his and held his hand tightly to comfort him.

“I tried to get their hands off me but I couldn’t and then it all went pitch black which I guess was the moment I woke up but I thought I was still in the dream,” He finished.

Selma scooted next to him and held him closely to comfort him and Faceless hugged her back as he tried to hold back tears.

“It was so dark, I was terrified of going back into the box,” Faceless choked.

“It’s okay, I’m here, you’ll never go back, I’ll make sure of it,” Selma replied, rubbing his back soothingly.

Faceless sighed and held Selma closer, “I’m sorry to make you deal with something like this, a little silly dream,” He said.

“Faceless, it’s not silly, it was something genuinely traumatic and you’re allowed to be afraid,” Selma replied.

“Selma, I’m crying over a dream about a box, do you know anyone else who cries over their dreams?” He asked sarcastically.

Selma stared at him silently for a moment, “Yes, I do,” She replied bluntly.

“Wait, really? Who?” He asked.

“I do, are you telling me I’m also silly for crying over dreams?” Selma questioned him.

He panicked and tried to change his answer, “Wait no! You’re not silly or dumb for doing that!” He replied.

“Then why are you dumb for doing the same thing?” She asked.

He paused as he tried to think of an answer but nothing came to him, he sighed in defeat, “I just, don’t really like myself, and I’m ashamed of all my fears,” He mumbled.

“But you have nothing to be ashamed of, and I’m here and willing to help you overcome these thoughts and fears, I’m here every step of the way,” Selma replied, holding his hand with both of her hands.

Faceless smiled at her and they slowly brought their mouths together to meet for a kiss, it was short and sweet and they parted and looked at each other like they were the world.

“Now let’s sleep, because it’s the middle of the night and I’m exhausted,” Selma said.

They got back under the covers and Selma closed her eyes and rested her head on her pillow, Faceless looked up the ceiling, a single thought still running around in his head which he desperately needed an answer to.

“Um, Selma?” He said.

“Yeah?” She replied in a tired voice.

“If it’s not too sore a subject, what kind of nightmares do you have?” Faceless asked.

Selma paused for a moment, “I used to date this guy who pressured me into a lot of stuff I wasn’t comfortable with and sometimes I have nightmares about it,” Selma answered.

“Do you want me to pay him a visit?” He asked in a suggestive tone, “I could talk to him, with my scythe,” He finished.

Selma quietly chuckled, “Please don’t, I’m over him and don’t want to deal with him, but thanks for the offer,” She answered.

Faceless scooted closer to her and put a arm across her waist and pulled her closer to him and she welcomed the touch.

“Fine, but since you’re here for me when I need a help, I just want you to know I’m here if you ever want to talk,” He said.

“Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind,” She replied.

Faceless smiled at her and laid his head down on the soft pillows, he held Selma close to him as he drifted off to sleep, her presence keeping any potential nightmares at bay and allowing him to have a peaceful night’s sleep.


	14. Guitar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selma finds an old guitar in her basement and Faceless decides to try and play it

Selma woke up slowly and found herself in a tight, warm embrace, her eyes slowly adjusted and she realized Faceless was holding her closely to his chest, she smiled and leaned into his embrace. After a few minutes, she decided it was time to get up and do her daily chores, she tried to wriggle out of Faceless’s grip but found it was impossible, he had an iron grip on her. Selma sighed and tapped Faceless’s shoulder and the blind bandit awoke with a groan, clearly annoyed and being woken up.

“Faceless, I need to get up,” Selma said.

Faceless groaned, “Just a few more minutes,” He replied in a groggy voice.

“No, you can keep sleeping in, I need to get to work,” Selma answered.

Faceless sighed loudly and begrudgingly let her go, she got herself ready and left the bedroom and closed the door behind her, she made herself some breakfast and made a bowl for Faceless when he got up from bed. She then began her chores of just doing random tasks, like tidying the house, arranging her supplies, and making sure everything was stocked up. She looked inside a box of surgical pins and found the contents were looking dangerously low, she set them down and headed to the center of the room.

She removed the carpet in the center of the room to reveal the basement hatch, she opened the hatch and walked down the dark stairs and entered a cold room filled with dusty shelves, boxes, and other knick knacks. Selma opened random boxes in search of what she was looking for, she paused when she heard footsteps upstairs but chucked it up to Faceless finally leaving the bed.

“Selma? Where are you?” Faceless called out.

“I’m in the basement!” Selma replied.

She heard footsteps approach her office and went back to looking through the old boxes, Faceless wandered around her office wondering where the basement door was.

“Selma, where’s the basement doo-“Faceless asked.

Selma jumped when she heard a series of loud bangs down the stairs, she quickly turned around and saw Faceless on the ground, she gasped and rushed to his side and helped him up.

“Oh my god! Are you okay!? What happened!?” She questioned in a concerned, shocked tone.

Faceless sat up in groaned in pain,” Well, I found your basement entrance, but turns out it wasn’t a door, but rather a hatch, so I tripped and fell down here,” He answered.

“I’m so sorry, I should’ve warned you about the stairs!” Selma profusely apologized it him.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” Faceless replied.

Selma helped him up and once she was sure he was okay, she started fixing the boxes he had knocked over when he fell down, Selma picked up several boxes and eventually a guitar she never used, Faceless lifted his head when he heard the echo of the guitar’s dusty insides.

“Is that a guitar?” He asked.

“Oh, yeah, I got it but never learned how to play it, so I just put it down here,” She replied.

“Um, do you mind if I could try playing it?” Faceless hesitantly mumbled.

“You know how to play?” Selma responded.

“Well, I did, but I don’t know if I can still play as well,” Faceless answered.

“Sure, hell, you can keep it too.” Selma handed him the stringed instrument and Faceless eagerly took it.

“Thanks, maybe I can teach you a few things after I eat,” He suggested with a smile.

“I’d like that,” She smiled.

They walked upstairs and Selma closed and covered the basement entrance while giving a Faceless a short lesson on where the door was and how to find it. They headed to the kitchen and Faceless began to eat while Selma plucked at the strings on the guitar while waiting for him to finish, once he was done Selma took the empty bowl to clean later and she handed him the guitar.

“Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve played so I might be a little rusty,” Faceless spoke.

Selma chuckled, “Can’t be worse than me,” She replied.

Faceless ran his fingers across the instrument trying to map it out, he ran his fingers up the strings and fiddled with its tuning keys, he would test the tone a bit before adjusting it again and he finally settled on one sound.

He strummed the guitar and started playing a slow tune, it was slow paced and unsure, as if he was doubting his skill and making up the tune as he played, it seemed to find its rhythm and Selma smiled at listened to the nice song. It was slow and calm and added a romantic touch to the scene. As he played the song got a little more familiar, Selma listened to it closer and tried to figure out where she heard it from until it finally clicked, he was playing the show’s theme song.

“Hey, that’s the theme song!” Selma beamed.

Faceless smiled sheepishly, “Yeah, sorry, I’m not that creative with songs,” He replied.

“Don’t be, it’s really nice, you mind if I sing the lyrics? It’s a really catchy tune,” Selma asked.

“Go ahead,” Faceless responded.

He started up from the top and Selma listened and waited for her cue.

“Who’s our buddy till the end? Showdown bandit,” Selma sang.

Faceless smiled and continued to play, he liked Selma’s singing voice, it was soothing and cheerful.

“Who will be our western friend? Showdown bandit, yay!” Selma continued, giggling at the last part.

Faceless was hesitate but joined her in the next verse and Selma smiled at him, it was nice to see him open up like this, to see the real him.

“Who’s a bad guy they all say? Showdown bandit,” They sang.

Faceless felt a huge grin grow on his face but he didn’t fight it, he was with Selma, he didn’t need to uphold some image that he was a villain, he could relax here, he could be himself with her.

“Who stands up for good today? Showdown bandit, yay!” They laughed at the end.

“Showdown bandit, yay!” Selma grinned from ear to ear, she was laughing so hard she could feel tears well up in her eyes.

“Let’s go down Showdown way!” They sang.

“Who’s our buddy till the end? Showdown bandit, yay!” Selma and Faceless were in tears at the end of the song and Selma leaned against Faceless as she tried to catch her breath.

“It’s a catchy song but you have to admit it’s a little silly,” Selma giggled.

“Yeah but I think that’s a part of its charm,” Faceless replied.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Selma smiled happily.

She rested her head on his shoulder and took in the pure bliss of the situation, Faceless smiled and leaned against her.

“So, you still wanna learn how to play?” Faceless asked.

“Sure, hand it over,” Selma replied.

He handed the instrument over to her and added small adjustments to the positions of her hands.

“Alright, so it’s important where your hands are,” Faceless said.


	15. Low Funds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selma gets worried that her low funds might become a problem for her in the later future so Faceless decides to help her in his own unique way.

Selma woke up in a tangled mess of limbs, Faceless was definitely a smuggler, every night without fail he would wrap his arms around her and pull her close. He may have liked the assurance that someone was with him, he may have been hostile to the town but he was quite attached to Selma, almost never leaving her side during the weekends.

Selma managed to wiggle out of his grasp and got ready for the day, she got on her tool apron and prepared breakfast for her and Faceless. He soon exited the room and greeted her at the table with a smile, he looked tired but happy.

“You always wake up late, are you not a morning person or something?” Selma asked.

“Nope, I love sleeping in, that’s why I love weekends,” He answered.

“I wouldn’t know you liked weekends back then, you always seemed miserable,” She replied.

“I was, it was really lonely, but I’m happy now,” Faceless smiled.

Selma smiled at him and they finished their breakfast, after that she went to their bedroom and noticed the badly made bed and happily sighed, this was something Faceless always did every morning with varying degrees of success, she always told him it wasn’t necessary but he insisted on trying to help.

She remade the bed and paused when a thought entered her mind, she turned around to the closest behind and slowly approached it and opened the doors and kneeled down and removed the clothes that covered the safe.

She opened the safe and frowned when she saw the contacts, Jack had really drained her funds and while she was recovering, it would take a while to get back to normal. She was mostly concerned with how she would afford medical supplies when they ran low, she was so deep into her thoughts that she didn’t notice footsteps enter her bedroom.

Faceless entered the room and called out to Selma to find her, Selma jumped a little when she heard his voice.

“I’m here, Faceless,” Selma replied.

He turned to her and kneeled down next to her and listened to her rummaging through something and titled his head.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Looking through my reserve funds, they’ve been really low ever since the Jack incident,” She replied.

Faceless frowned when he heard that name, then he frowned at Selma, concerned for her.

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked.

Selma closed the safe and faked a smile, “I’ll be fine,” She replied.

She covered the safe and closed the closet doors and headed for her office and the front door.

“Well, I’m leaving to head to Penny’s store, I’ll be gone for a bit, are you going anywhere today?” Selma asked.

“No, I think I’ll stay here for awhile,” Faceless replied.

“You sure?” She said.

“Yep,” He answered, something about his tone seemed off but Selma chose not to pry.

“Alright, if someone shows up at the door, come find me and let me know,” She called out before leaving through the door.

Selma left and entered town and headed for Penny’s store and the red head smiled when she saw her, after finishing with the other customers she put up the closed sign and they headed to the back to talk and play cards.

“So, how’s your weekend been?” Selma asked.

“Good, I’m sad it’s gonna be over soon,” Penny frowned.

“Yeah, same here,” Selma replied.

“So, has anything interesting happened to you?” Penny asked.

“Nope, what about you?” Selma responded.

“Nope, it’s been pretty quiet here, but it turns out there’s gonna be an episode in a few days and it’s gonna be at Carver’s mansion and it’s gonna be a big party! Everyone’s invited!” Penny beamed.

“Really? I didn’t know,” Selma said.

“How could you not, the news has been circling all around town this weekend!” Penny sounded baffled.

“To be fair, I live in the middle of nowhere,” Selma retorted.

“I guess so, why did you even choose to live there? It’s so lonely and far away!” Penny asked.

“Because it was the only property available for me at the time that I could afford, however Carver helped me pay for most of it,” Selma explained.

“You really respect him,” Penny replied.

“Of course I do! He’s the reason I have my job! He’s the only that taught me, offered me any help, and gave me the push I needed to accomplish this!” Selma responded, there was a sparkle in her eyes whenever she described the hardships she had to go through, they made her stronger.

Penny smiled at her friend, she always loved when Selma talked like that, she had this confidence and excitement to her that seemed infectious.

Their conversation was put to a halt when they heard a commotion outside, they looked at each other and then quickly rushed to the entrance of the store and saw deputies running around town and everyone watching in excitement.

Selma walked to a random passerby and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Faceless’s been going on a robbing spree and the sheriff is freaking out and calling on everyone to catch him!” The stranger excitedly replied.

Selma paused for a moment, why did he lie to her about staying people, she doubt it had to be anything nefarious or mean-spirited, but she still couldn’t figure out why he lied, she would definitely ask him when she got home.

“Penny, I’m going back to my place, I need to place it on lockdown in case Faceless decides to pay a visit,” Selma said.

“Same here, see ya later Selma! Stay safe!” Penny called out as she ran into her store.

Selma ran back home but when she entered her home, she found it was empty, she looked everywhere to find Faceless but he was nowhere to be seen. Selma frowned and sighed; the next time she saw him she would give him a piece of her mind.

First, he lied about staying home, then he goes on a robbing spree, then he doesn’t even come home, just leaves without a word.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard knocking at the door, a part of her was hopeful it was Faceless but frowned when she opened it to reveal Showdown with a damaged arm.

“Hey Selma,” He smiled.

“Hi Showdown, how did that happen?” She asked, gesturing to the scratched arm.

“Oh, this? Yeah, I had a run in with Faceless while he was stealing from a bunch of places,” Showdown replied.

“Well, come in. I’ll fix you up,” Selma said, opening the door for him to allow him to enter.

He walked in and sat at the desk, “By the way, someone sent you a package,” He said.

“What?” Selma looked confused and thought she misheard for a moment.

“Someone left a bag for you at the door, it’s got your name on it, although it’s really badly written,” Showdown answered.

Selma opened the door and looked to the side to find a bag with a note card with her name on it, and Showdown wasn’t kidding, it was really messy. She picked it up and carried it inside and hesitantly opened it and gasped when she saw the contents.

It was piles of cash, more than she could count, and a note, she took the note and read it, it was nearly impossible to read but she managed to decode the writing.

‘Hope this helps’

And the bottom was the word ‘Faceless’. Selma smiled and blushed, now it made sense, why he lied, why he was robbing. While she didn’t like his methods, she greatly appreciated his help and would be sure to thank him the next time she saw him.

“What’s in the bag?” Showdown asked.

Selma panicked and put on a casual smile and turned to face him making sure to hide the bag’s contents, “Oh, just some medical supplies I ordered! Now, let’s take care of that arm!” She beamed.


	16. Thank You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selma meets up with Faceless after his robbing spree and thanks him, and gives him a gift.

Selma woke up with a groan, the bed didn’t feel as comfortable without Faceless and she missed his presence, unfortunately she would have to wait til the weekend but at least she may have a chance of seeing him during the week. She forced herself out of bed and got ready for the day and headed to town, first paying a visit to her friend, Penny.

  
“Hey Selma! Did you hear the news yesterday?” Penny excitedly asked her.

  
“About Faceless robbing everyone? Yeah, Showdown told me last night,” Selma answered.

  
“Yeah, it was crazy! He robbed nearly every place in Showdown Valley! I’m lucky Showdown showed up before he could rob my place,” Penny replied, sounding relieved.

  
Selma smiled and nodded, making a mental note to bring that up with Faceless the next time she saw him.

  
“Thank god, you doing okay?” Selma asked.

  
“I’m doing fine but I can’t say the same for the other shops here, the Sheriff’s also really pissed about it, he’s been hunting Faceless down all day!” Penny replied.

  
Selma almost voiced her concern for Faceless but stopped herself when she realized that would make Penny question her.

  
“Wow, must suck to be him,” Selma said.

  
“Serves him right, he terrorizes the whole town and causes nothing but trouble!” Penny pouted angrily.

  
Selma bit her tongue, she wanted to argue with Penny but kept her comments to herself, instead she changed the conversation topic.

  
“So, how’s Showdown? Last time I saw him he had a huge scratch on his arm,” Selma asked.

  
“Oh, he’s doing just fine, he’s trying to catch Faceless but with the Sheriff running around, you can imagine it’s a bit difficult,” Penny answered.

  
Selma giggled, “I can. Well, it’s been nice talking to you Penny, but I gotta get going,” Selma replied.

  
Selma purchased her goods and left, waving goodbye to Penny. She continued on her way, doing the rest of her chores while keeping an eye out for any sign of Faceless, she wanted to thank him and she had a surprise for him.

She was starting to get worried that she couldn't find him but smiled when she heard some commotion in the distance, she followed it and found Faceless being chased by a random deputy. Faceless ran from the deputy and hid between the buildings, the deputy ran after him but couldn't find him, he turned to Selma and called out to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am! Did you see which way the Faceless Bandit went?" The deputy asked,

"Uh, yes! He went that way!" She lied, pointing in a random direction.

The deputy thanked her and ran off, she waited for a moment and walked into the alleyway to find Faceless ducking behind some barrels.

"Hi, Faceless," Selma said.

Faceless jumped when he heard her but relaxed when he recognized her voice and sighed in relief.

"You startled me," He sighed.

"Sorry, mind if I sit with you?" Selma asked.

"Go ahead," Faceless replied.

Selma sat by Faceless and his body relaxed, as if he felt reassured by her presence.

"Seems everyone has it out for you today," Selma commented.

"Yeah, they're kinda pissed about what I did yesterday," He answered.

Selma smirked, "You mean how you robbed a bunch of stores for me?" She grinned, seeming amused.

Faceless blushed, "Oh, so you got my package," He sheepishly smiled.

Selma giggled, "I did, thank you for it, but next time warn me before you do that," She replied.

"I wanted to tell you but I had a feeling you'd disagree with it," Faceless chuckled.

Selma smiled at him, "And you'd be right, but I still appreciate it. But next time if you're gonna rob people, try to avoid my friends."

Faceless made an x mark on his chest, "I promise."

Selma smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder, he flinched for a second but soon welcomed the touch, they sat next to each other, silent but at peace and just enjoying each other's presence.

Selma then lifted her head when she remembered her surprise for Faceless, "Oh! I just remembered! I have a surprise for you!" She eagerly smiled when reaching into her pocket.

"What is it?" Faceless asked.

"So, tomorrow there's gonna be a masquerade party tomorrow and everyone's been invited and given an invitation and I was wondering if you wanted to come, we could make it a date," Selma explained.

Faceless stared at her silently for a moment, "Um, Selma, you are aware I'm a wanted outlaw, right? I don't even have an invitation, and even if I did, I don't think anyone would want me there," He awkwardly replied.

"Ah! But I planned ahead!" She eagerly smiled, "It's a masquerade party so everybody's going to be wearing a mask, no one will know it's you, we'll all be disguised!" 

That piqued Faceless's interest but he still had some concerns, "Okay, but what about the invitation? I don't have one," He frowned.

Selma grinned, reaching into her many pockets, "I asked Carver for a second one that I could give to my 'friend'." She answered, pulling out a small envelope.

Faceless gasped and held the small envelope eagerly, he was once again moved by one of Selma's many kind acts, he should've expected this but she never failed to surprise him or take his breath away.

"Selma, this means a lot to me but I'm still gonna be recognized, I don't have any other pairs of clothes, this is all I have." He held up his tattered coat, "And everyone is gonna recognize me, even with a mask on, also I don't even have a mask to speak of," He replied sadly.

Selma's eyes widened when she heard that and made a mental note for later but got back to the topic at hand.

"I've got you covered, here." Selma responded, taking a bag out and placing it in Faceless's arms.

Faceless paused and then felt the inside of the bag, he felt fabric and something made of smooth wood, he felt the fabric and made out the shape of a sleeve. He then felt the smooth wood, it could fit in his hands and had a string around it, it was a mask.

"Wait, these are clothes, and this is a mask," Faceless whispered.

"Yep, I got you a suit and a mask, specifically a skull mask. I thought you'd like something scary," Selma replied.

Faceless blushed and smiled at Selma, "Thank you," 

Selma smiled back at him, "Your welcome, so it's a date?" Selma eagerly asked.

Faceless grinned, "Definitely."

Selma beamed at him, "Great! I can't wait to see you!." She cupped his face and kissed him and stood up, "Well, I have to go! See you tomorrow, Faceless!" She waved goodbye to him as she walked away.

Faceless was taken aback by the sudden kiss but smiled from ear to ear, he waved goodbye to Selma as his wooden heart pounded.

He couldn't wait for tomorrow.


	17. Masquerade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selma and Faceless finally arrive at the dance and have the time of their lives.

Selma eagerly walked into the mansion and walked into the crowd of people searching for any sign of Faceless, her surroundings were a blur of colors, almost like a rainbow. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see a masked man with ginger hair, she smiled widely but it lowered when she realized the man was far too short to be Faceless.

"Selma, is that you?" A familiar voice asked.

"Showdown?" Selma replied.

"The one and only," He smirked.

Selma smiled and followed Showdown to a table, there seated was Lorelei and Penny and they waved her over and she sat down with them.

"How long have you all been here?" Selma asked.

"About a half hour ago, you?" Lorelei replied.

"I just got here," Selma said.

"Oh, then can I interest you in a dance," Showdown grinned.

"No thanks, Showdown. I'm just gonna sit and relax for now." Selma replied, taking a seat at the table.

Penny groaned, "Come on, Selma! Every time you come to these parties you just sit around! Some day you gotta put yourself out there and meet someone!" She protested.

Selma smirked, "Don't worry about me, Penny. Besides, I have a good feeling about me tonight."

While Selma talked with her friends, Faceless was struggling to get ready for the party. His mind was running rampant with paranoid thoughts about how the event could go horribly wrong for him, he kept going over imaginary conversations to prepare for every situation the party could throw at him. He was pacing around the room trying to build the courage to actually leave the house and finally head to the party but his anxiety kept holding him back, he kept trying to remind himself that Selma was waiting for him and that he couldn't keep her waiting. He tried to build up his courage by reminding himself that he would be there with Selma and she'd help him if he needed it, he smiled at the thought of Selma, she always made him feel safe.

With the thought of Selma on his mind he was able to build the courage to finally leave his hideout and head for the party, he grabbed the invitation and clutched it tightly to his chest, as if it would slip out of his grip at any moment. On the way to the mansion, he kept adjusting his mask, making sure it was on his face, concealing his identity from everyone. While walking, he stumbled into a group of people and nervously apologized, then after some eavesdropping he realized this was the line to the party and quickly stood at the end. Every time he walked further in the line, his stomach turned into a tighter knot, his body tensed and he kept waiting for someone to shout his name and for everything to break into chaos. He jumped when he heard the stern guard at the door call for his invitation and he fumbled with the paper for a moment before nervously handing it to the guard, seconds felt like hours when he waited for the guard to let him through. He kept fearing that he'd be recognized and his body stiffened, ready for a sudden attack. 

He couldn't describe the sigh of relief that washed over his body when the guard let him through and he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face when he stepped through the doorway and headed for Selma, that smile soon faded when he got lost in the sea of people and struggled to escape it.

The loud buzzing noise of the crowd filled his ears and head and he became lost in the noise and touch and it felt like he was drowning in the sea during a storm and the fear and anxiety that filled his body began to spread and spread and it felt like he was suffocating, it was so cramped, so tight, so dark, so-

He felt a hand tightly clutch his and pull him out of the crowd into the free, open space. He gulped in air as if he hadn't breathed in years, he tightly grasped the hand that still held his as he tried to gather himself, he wasn't drowning but it still felt like he was lost in the ocean.

"Hey, are you okay?" Selma asked calmly.

Everything went silent when he heard her, the buzzing of the crowd stopped and his grip on her hand loosened as he focused everything on her. That warm, safe feeling returned as all the outside noise and chaos disappeared with her presence, she was like a lighthouse to him, a light in the dark to guide him. He smiled warmly at her and clutched her hand tightly, she smiled back at him and they looked at each other with such fondness.

"I'm happy to see you here, I was kind of nervous you wouldn't show," Selma said.

"No, I was nervous but I was gonna get in, even if I needed to kill someone," He replied.

"Did you?" She asked, concerned for a second.

"No, you were right, no one recognized me with the mask on," Faceless responded, easing her concern.

She smiled at him, looking him up and down. She was used to seeing him in his usual bandit outfit, with his torn coat. But she had to admit, he cleaned up nice and looked quite handsome in the suit and mask. She paused when she noticed the tie, it was wrongly tied and was seconds from coming undone, she placed her hands on his chest and he jumped a bit as his cheeks flushed.

"Your tie is undone." Selma noted as she began to adjust it.

He coughed nervously, "Oh, yeah. I couldn't tie it properly, it's hard to do without eyes."

While Selma fixed his tie, a random guy walked by and greeted her.

"Hey Selma," He said.

"Hi Brian," she replied, not looking up from Faceless's tie.

Faceless stared at the man and looked back to Selma with a big grin, Selma paused when she noticed him smiling at her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Someone just casually walked by us and had no idea that he just walked by a wanted outlaw. I'm hiding in plain sight!" He replied in a giddy tone.

Selma smiled at Faceless's excited tone, his eagerness was quite contagious. The excitement of the danger of the situation filled her and she soon found herself feeling giddy as well, she wondered if this was how he felt whenever he robbed a place or ran from the police, it wasn't her cup of tea but she could understand a little why he liked doing what he did.

"Yeah, it is kind of exciting, in a dangerous way," She grinned.

Faceless grinned widely at her like a child opening their presents on Christmas Day, she always loved seeing him this happy, it was rare to see and when she did see it, she always treasured it and wanted to make it happen again.

"So do you want a drink?" She asked.

"Yeah, that sounds nice," He smiled.

Selma poured herself a glass of wine and handed Faceless a bottle of beer, she took his hand and guided him to an empty table where they took their seats and began to chat about whatever came to mind, mostly about the excitement of hiding in plain sight.

"I have to admit, you look nice in a suit, and the skull mask adds a spooky, handsome touch," Selma said with a blush blooming across her cheeks.

Faceless smiled, clearly appreciating the compliment, "Thanks, but don't expect me to do this all the time, fancy outfits aren't my thing, I'm only doing this for you," He replied.

Selma smiled, Faceless returned it and reached over to hold her hand.

"If you keep acting like this, people are gonna think we're dating," She quietly giggled.

"Yeah, and? We kind of are," Faceless replied with a cheeky smile.

Selma nodded, "That's true, so if someone comes up to us and asks who you are, should we give them a fake name?" She asked.

Faceless thought for a moment, "Maybe something cool? Like Victor?" he suggested.

Selma laughed, "No, that will make you more conspicuous. Maybe something more common like, Jack Kent?" She replied.

Faceless furrowed his brows as he tested the name by rolling it off his tongue a few times and smiled when he found it satisfactory.

"Jack Kent. Yeah, I'm Jack Kent!" He grinned, "Hello random woman I've never meant! I'm Jack Kent!" Faceless smiled at Selma like a cheeky dork, and Selma loved it.

She giggled, "Hi, Jack. I'm Selma Whitfield, excuse my boldness but I have to say you're quite a handsome man, and very funny," Selma replied.

Faceless smirked, "Why thank you! While I can't see you, I imagine you're quite a beauty! Say, wanna get out of here and head to your place?" Faceless suggested, wiggling his brows.

Selma's face became flushed as she tried to hold back a laugh, "Oh my god! Have some class! We're in public!"

"So?" Faceless replied, setting down his bottle and cupping her cheek.

Selma touched the hand that so gently held her face and leaned into his touch, they closed the space between themselves and were inches away from kissing each other before a familiar voice spoke and broke the romantic feeling in the air, Selma quickly pulled away from Faceless and froze, Faceless had the same reaction as her and neither knew what to do.

"Selma. Who's this?"


End file.
